The Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case
by deletrear
Summary: Team Seven find their way to each other in every universe. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are on a mission to prove to everyone that as bad as their canon counterparts were, things can always be worse! [AU: Canon Divergence]
1. Introducing: Our Protagonists

**The** **Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case**

* * *

Haruno Sakura bows to her long-time classmate and opponent, Tsuneo. He's a thin, scarecrow figure wrapped tightly in padded clothes and pouches full of weapons. Tsuneo adjusts his glasses with the heel of his palm; just another part of him that's easily breakable.

"I look forward to this battle, Sakura-san," Tsuneo says lowly. He returns her bow. "I apologize in advance. I'm sure you'll have better luck next year."

Sakura's eyebrow twitches. "You think you'll win, Tsuneo-kun?"

"It's the logical conclusion," he says regretfully. "You're smart, to be sure, but you're still leagues behind me. Your brutish style is nothing compared to my intellect. I'm only sorry that you must learn this lesson here and now, in front of our comrades."

 **Alright** , **I'm sick of it.** Inner barks. In Sakura's head, her phantasmal figure is baring her teeth. **Let's crush this guy, Sakura-chan!**

 _Agreed_. Sakura can't help but say, "Tsuneo-kun… you know we're allowed to use weapons during our graduation test, right?"

Like, she's holding hers. Surely he can see that.

He is unconcerned. "I've already thought my way around that!"

"Well… okay."

Hanamizu-sensei blows her nose with the handkerchief she keeps on hand, interrupting their face-off. She's standing on the edge of the ring, Dee-sensei beside her, the rest of the class behind them both. Everyone is standing on their tiptoes trying to get a good view of the battle. Some are already wearing their hitai-ate.

 _That's going to be me,_ Sakura thinks with certainty. She'll have her hitai-ate soon. Maybe she'll put it around her neck — she's seen others do it like that, and it looks nice, out of the way. Her pink hair is distinctive enough. Sakura has already chopped most of it off, but it still feels like too much. She doesn't know if the hitai-ate will draw more attention to her hair or divert it.

"Are you two ready?" Hanamizu-sensei asks, stuffing her snotty cloth back in her pocket. "Remember, everything short of killing your opponent is allowed. Do what it takes to win. Do us proud, students."

Sakura bounces on her toes. Adrenaline is pumping through her system. She wants to leap into battle, but as arrogant as Tsuneo is, it isn't without reason. He's been at the top of rankings since... ah, it's been years, surely. Sakura is sure she can beat him. For starters, he's seriously underestimating how much it hurts to be hit with an axe. He's going to bleed today.

Hanamizu sniffles, shares a glance with the ever-quiet Dee-sensei, then declares: "Fight!"

Through great effort, Sakura doesn't move. Tsuneo waits, tension between them taut, before laughing. "I see. You want me to make the first move? That is more caution than I was expecting from someone like you, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiles at him. "You should start expecting more from me if you want a chance of winning today."

"Oh, I don't think so. Though, if you insist, I will attack now."

He throws a kunai. Sakura dodges with a quick movement of her elbow; it embeds itself into the dirt behind her. "Is that all?" Sakura asks, disappointed, when Tsuneo grins and throws more. Like, a _lot_ more. Every single one misses. Tsuneo doesn't look worried, but Sakura's pretty sure he doesn't have anything nefarious planned.

 **Forget this. Go in there and pummel him!**

Inner is right. Standing is boring. Sakura adjusts her grip on her axe, which has a steel head twice as big as hers and a wooden haft wrapped in bandages, as long and thick as her forearm. Carrying it around alone would have given Sakura a thin layer of muscle; learning to fight with it has bulked her up more than any other kunoichi in the Academy. Sakura's proud of it, even if she's had to knock out some teeth with her "mannish hands" for a few years.

Sakura lunges at Tsuneo and engages him. He narrowly dodges her wide, powerful swings, throwing punches himself that never land. One particular near-miss ends with her axe buried in the stone, just about to the haft. It would have split Tsuneo in half.

He laughs nervously at the sight. "You aren't going easy on me, are you?"

Sakura dislodges her weapon with a grunt. "Nope."

"Good. I'm not, either. I feel better about that now."

"You talk too much," Sakura says, and with speed he must not have expected, catches him in the ribs with the flat side of her axe. It knocks the wind out of him, and Sakura roundhouses him across the field. There are no out-of-bounds areas, no ring, so it isn't an automatic victory when Tsuneo collides with the fence several feet away from her. The only way to win is if the opponent cannot fight back or forfeits.

Tsuneo struggles to his feet. Seems he still has fight left in him.

"You know," Sakura calls mockingly, "you've already lasted longer than I expected you to! It's alright to give up now, before you _really_ get hurt!"

Tsuneo shouts back, "Why would I, when I finally have enough distance to do this?"

… **Do what—**

Tsuneo pulls on — something — and Sakura hears the telltale whine of… wires. Crap. It sinks in a second too late: the kunai at the beginning, the narrow dodging during their encounter, him being sent to the other side of the field. He was weaving a web.

The dormant wires, pulled tight, leap into the air all around Sakura. She's tangled around the legs, arms, torso, even her neck. The wire bites into her bare arms; her shirts is one-sleeved, and it's not a super long sleeve at that. Thankfully her standard white corset is thick enough that being strung-up hasn't affected her breathing, plus her trousers are tucked into her boots. Her legs are fine. Tsuneo doesn't move any closer. To so would make the web collapse, and Tsuneo knows the only chance he has of winning is to incapacitate Sakura from a distance. She'd win in a physical battle. Really. She could snap him in half with her pinky finger.

"Forfeit," Tsuneo tells her. "Or I will electrocute you."

"As if!"

"Three…"

Sakura grits her teeth. The wires have forced her hands apart so she can't make any seals and she has no range of movement. Her axe is redundant. But what are seals except ways to focus her chakra, push them along the correct veins, in the right direction? She's seen shinobi call lightning from the sky with a gesture. Seals aren't necessary. They aren't.

Her hands don't need to be together.

"Two… come on, Sakura-san. Don't be stubborn. This is going to hurt…"

"Go to hell," Sakura barks, clenching her eyes tight. Her chakra flows inside of her, rising and falling like the tide. It's famously hard to direct: like a river, it needs a current to push it, which is what her seals do. They focus her chakra.

Well, not today. She's gonna have to do without.

"One… well, don't say I didn't warn you. _Lightning Style_ —"

 _Come on, come on, come on…!_

"— _Static shock._ "

Lightning roars down the wires. Sakura pulls at the ocean inside of her, and splashes to the ground. Her axe clatters down beside her.

Using water replacement, Sakura fell through her binds, and lays prone on the floor as her body pieces itself together. Ugh…

 **That took a lot out of us,** Inner moans. Sakura knows. Their chakra control is usually… well, usually perfect. Without the seals they expended an embarrassing amount for a relatively simple water jutsu; also one of the only ones Sakura knows. Their classmates roar jubilantly at yet another twist — honestly speaking, Sakura had forgot about their audience. Still, their cheers reenergize her.

With a net of live wires inches away from her nose, Sakura can't move. What she can do is laugh.

"Is that all you got?"

Tsuneo doesn't reply. The current of electricity continues. Sakura is content to wait him out, fingering the haft of her axe until it's back in her grip. Tsuneo is smart, sure, but he isn't a fighter — he's a strategist. His reserves suck and his control isn't like hers; he cannot keep up his jutsu for long.

Sure enough, it runs out after about a minute of use. Sakura immediately swings up and slices through the wires with her axe, springing up from the ground like a daisy. Tsuneo's hand disappears into a pouch. Sakura lunges one more time, bringing her axe down from above her head with both hands. It clashes with a trembling kunai.

"Look at your arms, they're shaking," Sakura observes softly. She pushes harder. Tsuneo's arms visibly strain to keep her back. He's using both hands on his kunai, and Sakura laughs in his face. "Hey, Tsuneo-kun, wanna know something?"

A drop of sweat rolls down his cheek. "What?" He snarls, knees buckling a little as Sakura puts a bit more pressure on him.

Sakura takes one free hand off, confident that she can keep him there with one arm, and cuts her palm on the sharp edge of her weapon. Tsuneo sees her hand, the blank ink that covers it.

"I have two axes!"

His eyes bug out as Sakura summons another axe in a cloud of smoke. She swings her left axe at his knee, shattering those fragile foundations and drawing that blood she was promised from the start. Tsuneo collapses with a cry of pain, clutching at his leg.

"Good fight," says Sakura. She cracks the haft over his head. Tsuneo is knocked out cold. He's landed on his glasses. Whoops. "Dee-sensei!"

Dee-sensei is at her side in a flash. He passes his hand over Tsuneo's neck, then declares, "He's out! Sakura wins!"

Sakura's classmates go wild, calling her name. Sakura grins and throws her arm up, waving at them all. Hanamizu-sensei wanders over with her hitai-ate. "Congratulations," she says nasally, glancing at Tsuneo. Dee-sensei is a medic-nin and is fixing up Sakura's defeated opponent. "I knew you'd do okay, Sakura-chan."

"Really, sensei?"

"You're too bull-headed to lose," Hanamizu-sensei chuckles. "Dee, how's Tsuneo-kun?"

"He'll be fine," Dee-sensei murmurs. "Well done, Sakura. Go join your friends. I'll take care of this." He picks Tsuneo up and carries him back inside. Sakura clenches her hitai-ate tightly, feeling like she's going to vibrate out of her skin. Hanamizu-sensei smiles at her and walks her back to the group. Sakura's met with a hug immediately.

"Netsu-chan," Sakura laughs. Her best friend clutches her tighter. "When is your match?"

Netsu pulls back. Her white fringe flops over her eye, and she tosses it back irritably. "Two more rounds. I'm so proud of you, Sakura-chan! That was amazing! Since when have you known how to do water replacement, eh? Are you holding back on me? And without hand seals?!"

"I didn't even know if that would work," Sakura confesses.

"Huh? You're so reckless, Sakura-chan, honestly… Congratulations. That was amazing. Are you going to put on your hitai-ate? Come on, I wanna see what it looks like!"

Sakura swallows nervously. "Ah… where should I put it?"

Netsu blinks at her. "What kind of question is that? Around your forehead, of course. It's a headband. _Head_. I thought you were smarter than this."

"What if it doesn't look good?" Sakura murmurs. Netsu makes a disgusted noise and smacks the side of her head. "Ow!"

"Get your priorities straight," Netsu flatly tells her. "You're a shinobi of Kumogakure now — the best village in the world, and the strongest. Wear your pride where everyone can see it. You've earned it, Sakura-chan."

Yeah… yeah, she has. Revitalized, Sakura moves her bangs out of the way and ties her hitai-ate tightly. It feels right. She drags her fingertips over the engraved clouds at the front.

She's a shinobi of her village, now. Emotional, Sakura covers her face with her hands, then groans. "Oh — I'm still bleeding…"

Netsu wrinkles her nose. "That's gross," she says, ripping off part of her shirt to first wipe Sakura's face then wrap around her hand. "You should get Dee-sensei to check that out, shinobi-san."

Sakura says, "I hope we're on the same team, Netsu-chan."

Netsu smiles brightly. "Me too."

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke stands across from a blushing girl, his hands in the pockets of his grey pants.

"Sasuke-kun, fight well!" She calls, with a little wave as well. Sasuke doesn't remember her name, but she's pink and it's safe to assume she's yet another person with an ill-advised crush on him.

Sasuke looks to Hanamizu. The woman looks bemused at the girl, then looks at Sasuke and actually laughs. She's always kept an eye on Sasuke. He isn't sure why. "When you're both ready, you can start whenever."

The girl lifts her head. "Have a good—"

Sasuke is not courteous enough to let her finish. He throws a brace of shuriken in her direction, the type that curve around from behind to get her to leap forward. He lunges as well, armed with a kunai. The girl yelps, ducking to avoid shuriken, and springs to the side to dodge Sasuke.

"Hey, now wait a minute…" She begins. Sasuke slashes. She shifts her chin up a fraction, his blade missing by a hair. "Sasuke-kun, this really isn't nice of you…"

"Shut up and fight," Sasuke kicks her legs out from under her. She falls flat on her back, and Sasuke comes down with another kunai. She catches him in the chest with her foot, then lifts her hips so her legs around locked around his neck. With a huff of exertion, the girl twists and throws Sasuke.

With her _feet_.

He skids on his shoulder, flips around, and slides to a stop, crouched.

"Jeez!" says the female. Sasuke has barely oriented himself when he's forced to dodge three kunai. And then a leg. Sasuke braces his arms over his head — her kick packs heat, like they're weighted or something. Sasuke wraps his hand around her ankle and throws her.

It feels like she's barely touched the ground before she's on him again. She's fast. Sasuke is instantly on the defensive, can't force enough breathing room for retaliation. She nails him in the kidneys, his left ribs, kneecap, cheekbone — there, she halts. "Oh, no! Your beautiful face!"

It's humiliating, but it's the only opening he's been given. Sasuke punches her in the throat. "Shit!" She croaks, disappearing from sight with a flicker. Next thing Sasuke knows, she's halfway across the field, rubbing her neck.

"You're fast," Sasuke says.

She narrows her eyes. "What do you mean? Of course I'm fast. Everyone knows that. If you paid attention to anyone other than yourself, you'd know that, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke blinks.

"You're pretty," she continues, and pouts, "but that's it, Sasuke-kun. I hate that I have to break your perfect bone structure, but… I'm glad, too. To have such an easy opponent."

Sasuke's blood boils. "...What?"

"The famous Uchiha traitor," she continues. "Not so special it turns out… maybe if you stayed in Konoha, you might have made a name for yourself. I hear they make them weaker in the Land of Fire."

"If you shut up now, I won't punch your teeth out," Sasuke warns her.

She smirks, "As if you could touch me."

Before Sasuke can muster up a reaction to that infuriating claim, a powerful kick sends him flying into the air. She follows him, never refraining in her blows. After what feels like twenty consecutive blows, Sasuke gets a knee to the stomach. He plummets into the ground. His body feels like it's been through a meat grinder. He's one big bruise.

The female lands nimbly beside him. Her sandals are on either side of his head, and she hangs above him, hands on her hips, cheeky smile on her dark lips. "You'd be so much cooler if you were faster," she sighs dreamily. "Unfortunately…"

Sasuke looks at her. "Oi," he says, clenching his burning eyes shut. "What's your name."

He can't see her, but she sounds utterly unamused. "Seriously?"

"Just tell me."

"Why?"

"I want to know the name of the moron I'm gonna kick the ass of," Sasuke says. She laughs at him.

"It's Kiyona," she answers after a pause. "You might even be my trophy husband later, you know, so you better remember it this time, pretty boy. 'Uchiha Kiyona' has a ring to it, right?"

Sasuke's eyes are on fire. "You don't know the first thing about being an Uchiha," he sneers, and looks at her, sharingan ablaze. Kiyona's expression is wiped clean off. Idiot. She goes down like a sack of bricks, and Sasuke breathes heavily as he sits up. He's sure something is broken. Many somethings. Damn, he needs to work on his speed.

Dee comes over to check on Kiyona. "Genjutsu, she's out."

Hanamizu, not too far behind, raises her eyebrows: she looks surprised. "I didn't know you had your..." Sasuke's eyes are black. Understanding dawns on her face. Quietly, she asks, "Oh. How are your reserves, kid?"

Sasuke glares at her. "None of your business," he sneers, battling to his feet. A hand lands on his head. Dee. Warmth courses through his body, salvation, easing his bruises and mending his bones. Sasuke glowers at the presumptuous man. "I didn't need your help."

Dee raises his eyebrows. He never has much to say. "Congratulations, Sasuke."

Hanamizu wipes her dripping nose with her handkerchief, then pulls another hitai-ate from her pocket, one of an infinite amount, it seems. "Was getting the shit beat outta you apart of the strategy, or was your little trick a last ditch effort?" She asks as she hands it over.

Sasuke snatches the headband. "Strategy."

Hanamizu sees straight through him. "You didn't expect her to be so quick, eh?"

"Can I leave? Or do I have to wait until everyone finishes?"

She tilts her head. "Nah, you can go home. I'm sure your mom and brother are waiting for you. Got anything planned for tonight?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Hanamizu."

"Hanamizu- _sensei_. Shit, you are such a handful. Scram, Sasuke. Remember the teams are decided tomorrow, show up bright and early if you don't want to miss meeting your sensei!"

Sasuke stalks away from her. She's too nosy. Always has been.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Sakura toes off her sandals and lines them up at the door, sliding into her slippers. The hallway and living room are empty, so she wanders further into the home and cups her hands around her mouth. "Oba-chan!"

A voice calls, "In the back!"

Sakura follows her voice to their tin shed in their backyard, if it can be called that. Kumo is a village in the mountains, so they don't have much top soil. The section Sakura and her aunt live in is rock, stones. There are areas suitable for agriculture, of course, great big patches of grass for vegetables, fruit, and livestock, but not here. The only green around here are in planters: flowers, herbs, the works.

Sakura's aunt Ayuna spends most of her time in the shed. It's where her livelihood is. Ayuna is a potter. Her works fill the cupboards and line the shelves of their walls. Ayuna's on her stool now, operating the wheel-head with her foot. She's throwing a hunk of wet clay; at this point of the process, Sakura can't determine what she's making.

Chiyurai Ayuna doesn't look like Sakura. She looks like Mibuki, with a sharp face, short, spiky blonde hair, and violet eyes. She's tanned — mixed, while Sakura is about the color of a ripe peach. When they first met, Sakura wondered if her parents had gotten it wrong. This lady couldn't be her aunt.

It's been years since then. Now when she thinks of her mother, she sees Ayuna.

"Oba-chan, you're messy."

Ayuna looks up. She has a smudge of dried clay under her right eye. "Sakura! You have your hitai-ate!"

Sakura smugly adjusts it. "Right? Doesn't it look good?"

"It suits you. Come, come over here." Ayuna takes Sakura's face in her hands, surveying her proudly. "You look so confident, my darling. How was your fight?"

"Easy," Sakura sniffs. "I had to use my other axe, though."

"So, not very easy," Ayuna chuckles. She pats Sakura's round cheeks. "I'm proud of you. I have a surprise for you in the fridge, I knew you'd pass. Go on while I finish up with my piece."

Sakura beams, hoping it's what she asked for last week. Celebratory food; it's always a treat. "What are you making?"

"Just a ceramic for a friend. She wants one done of her husband. It's small, I'll be done before dinner. Go, Sakura. I love you."

"Love you too!"

Sakura returns to the main house and rummages through the pantry for a small snack. She's hungry from all the ass-kicking she's done. While she crunches on senbei, she looks through the refrigerator for the present Ayuna was talking about. There's a pink box behind their old lettuce — Sakura throws that in the bin — and takes out the box. It doesn't have a restaurant name on it.

Ah, but Sakura knows that smell. Syrup-covered anko dumplings. They're hard to get, Kumo doesn't have the produce, and would have been expensive.

Sakura screams as loud as she can — "THANK YOU!"

Distantly, Ayuna returns: "You're welcome!"

Sakura takes the box to her room with a pair of chopsticks, sits cross-legged on her futon, and stuffs her mouth until she's sick.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Hidoi is waiting for him in his reading room. The old man is drinking tea and has a scroll unfurled in his lap. Sasuke kicks the door frame to announce his presence.

"I'm a shinobi now," says Sasuke unceremoniously. "Tell your master."

A sigh.

"Technically the Raikage is your master too, Sasuke. And that kind of attitude doesn't come off well, I hope you know that."

"Where's my mother?"

"With Kagen. Does she know?"

"Thought I'd report to you first, _sir_ ," Sasuke says mockingly. Hidoi gives him a blank look. "Do you need anything else? A blow-by-blow, maybe?"

Hidoi sips his tea to gather his patience. Sasuke has been told multiple times by his mother to treat Hidoi with more respect, but the man isn't his father. He's earned nothing. _Mikoto_ doesn't even like him. "Just one thing," Hidoi exhales heavily. "Your sharingan. Did you unlock it?"

Sasuke lifts his chin and spits, "You expect me to awaken my kekkei genkai during an Academy spar?"

"Your graduation test is hardly a spar," Hidoi says bluntly. "I suppose that means you didn't. Very well, you may go. I'll see you for dinner."

Unfortunately. Sasuke slams the door behind him. In Konoha, that would have been impossible — the Uchiha main house had sliding doors throughout, as traditional as it was. The house Sasuke lives in now isn't close in dignity or construction. The doors swing on hinges. At least it gives voice to Sasuke's irritation.

Mikoto is in the blue room bouncing Kagen on her lap. Kagen, his half-brother, is four years old and looks more like Sasuke than Sasuke is entirely comfortable with: both sons take mostly after their mother. He hopes the resemblance is superficial, that their bond doesn't run deeper. The Raikage doesn't deserve two sharingan. Or one.

Mikoto looks up already wearing a warm look. "You passed," she breathes upon seeing his hitai-ate around his forehead. "I thought you would."

"The girl I faced against was fast. Tricky. I won, though. Obviously."

"Obviously," Mikoto agrees. "Did anything come up?"

"I had to put her down with a genjutsu," Sasuke admits. Mikoto shoots him a severe look. "I know. Only Hanamizu noticed. She won't tell anyone."

"Yes… she's quite fond of you, I've noticed. Are you sure she'll keep it to herself?"

"Yeah, pretty sure."

Mikoto relaxes fractionally. Kagen murmurs something to her. He's old enough to speak full sentences, and intelligent enough, but around Sasuke he leans towards silence. Mikoto says he's nervous around his big brother. Sasuke had snapped at her: he wasn't Kagen's brother.

Mikoto says, "Kagen wants to congratulate you, Sasuke."

Sasuke stares at the back of Kagen's raven head. It's ducked. If Kagen wants to say it, he apparently isn't thrilled about it.

"Well?" Sasuke prompts, ignoring the sharp look his mother sends him. "Spit it out, then."

Kagen's shoulders inch up.

"Face me when you do it, Kagen."

"I—" Kagen sniffles, turning around on his mother's lap at her gentle urging. He keeps his head down. Kagen has Hidoi's eyes, a dark grey that contrasts his Uchiha skin tone and black hair. He never looks Sasuke in the face. Not since Sasuke told him he hadn't earned the right. "... Well done, Nii-sama."

Sasuke waits, but that seems to be it. "Thanks."

Kagen goes a deep purple, pushing his face into Mikoto's shirt. He doesn't cry, but it isn't like he's putting on a courageous facade. Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Get started on dinner," Mikoto orders, displeased but resigned. She's tried to get Sasuke to cooperate. It doesn't work.

"What are we having?"

"Your choice, but make it properly, please. And no peanut oil. If you keep trying to poison your step-father, it's going to cause problems."

"It'll solve some, too," Sasuke huffs. "Hey, Kagen?"

Kagen flinches. "Y-Yeah?"

"Keep your mouth shut about my sharingan, got it?"

"Sasuke…" Mikoto starts warningly. Kagen's voice trembles at the edges.

"Yeah, I will, Nii-sama."

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto is twitching on the floor.

"You have to do better than that if you want to get the Raikage off your back!"

They're in the containment room: a large, plain box made of a combination of thick concrete and powerful steel. It's built to take a hit. Naruto's broken it a few times. The newest iteration has scorch marks painting the walls black and gouges ripped out, scattered across the floor. One piece of rubble is at Naruto's foot. He kicks it away, irritated.

Yugito sighs at his childish behavior. "Naruto," she says. "Focus."

"I am focusing," Naruto snaps, wanting nothing more than to bang his head against a wall. That's what this entire exercise feels like, anyway, so what's the harm?

"You aren't. You're stalling. Get up."

Naruto grits his teeth.

" _Naruto_."

"Yugito-neechan," Naruto shoots back. "I know it isn't perfect, but me and Kyuubi — we're solid, okay? We're two peas in a pod. I'm ready."

"You're ready? You're _ready_?" Naruto nods rapidly. Yugito purses her lips. "Then stand up and show me three tails."

" _Three tails_?!" Naruto leaps to his feet, so enraged by the request that it's a boost of adrenaline to his system. Revived, he thrusts his finger in Yugito's face — she leans back, expression twisted — and roars: "Three is unrealistic! Why don't you show me three tails, huh?!"

"If I could, I would. Effortlessly. Naruto, come on. Take this seriously. If you can't show that you have control of your three tailed form, you won't be allowed to join a team. The Raikage can't risk other shinobi because you want to socialize. They're his people."

"More like his _pawns_ ," Naruto harrumphs. But it isn't like he wants to hurt other people, either. He just wants to _meet_ them. Life is stuffy when it's him, Yugito, Killer Bee, and that crappy old man every hour of every day. Naruto only gets to see the sun when he's being taken on a walk. Like he's a dog! It's insulting!

"Can't you just tell him that I'm ready? Because I _am_. I can't do the three tails all the time, but most of the time, it's good!"

Yugito shakes her head. "Not good enough. I'm sorry, Naruto. You can't risk other people's lives. Show me three tails before the end of the day, and I'll report to the Raikage, tell him you're ready to join a team. Otherwise... you'll have to wait another year."

"I've already waited another year!"

"You'll wait another more," Yugito says. Naruto glares to hide the water he can feel gathering in his eyes. Yugito, seeing this, sighs. Her expression is all crinkled up. She comes close enough to pull him into a hug, one that Naruto spitefully refuses to return. "Naruto. You understand why we're doing this, don't you?"

"Kyuubi is dangerous," he huffs into her chest. "Which means _I'm_ dangerous."

"That's right. Until you can get your beast under control, you're legally considered a loose canon. You could hurt people, the wrong people. We need that power pointed at the village's enemies, _not_ the village. It isn't good enough to sometimes be sure that you aren't a threat. We need to prove that, under every circumstance, you're harmless to Kumogakure."

Naruto says, "But this is my _home_."

"... Naruto."

"It _is_! I don't give a crap that I was born in Konoha! This is where I was raised! This is home! I wouldn't ever — how could you guys think that I would —"

"The thing that they don't trust... it isn't _you_. It's what is inside you."

Oh, he bets.

"Kyuubi."

"The Niibi," Yugito says as well. "The Hachibi. Bee-sama and I have gone through it too. We know how you feel. We've done this training. And look at us — it can be done, Naruto. You _can_ do it."

He can feel Kyuubi now in the recesses of his mind. It's always there, growling and snapping at its cage. It isn't that Naruto isn't as talented as his mentors; they're amazing, but they tell him he's just as good. His seal... it's stronger than theirs. Less flexible. When the beasts were sealed into Bee and Yugito, the masters responsible knew that the vessels would be using the monster's power. There were allowances in the seal for it. Not Naruto. His seal is all-or-nothing. If he takes it off, the Kyuubi goes wild, but if it keeps it on, he can barely control what he can take. It's like Yugito says: it's simply not good enough.

The seal makes Naruto a blunted weapon.

"Kyuubi doesn't _like me_ ," Naruto whines. "It doesn't want to get along. I try talking to it, but it just wants to eat me!"

"You're a likable kid. Keep at it. Listen, take a break. Eat something. We'll go back to meditation and you try to talk to your beast. Maybe... Maybe get to know it."

Naruto blinks stupidly at her. "What?"

"Niibi has a personality," Yugito shrugs. "She's quite maternal, if catty. I learned about what she likes, who she is. It was like making a friend."

"But... you guys said the beasts weren't human. That they're aggressive."

"They are. They're animals, Naruto. But you can make friends with animals, can't you?"

"Huh? Like having a pet?"

"Bit more dignified than that — the beasts are old, Naruto, and they are proud. Lonely, too. I think... I think you and Kyuubi have that in common, don't you think?"

Naruto supposes it makes sense, not that he's thought about it like that before. He doesn't have any friends. Bee and Yugito are family, so they don't count, and the old man Raikage is more of a pest than anything. When he's in a good mood, though, he's a bit like an uncle.

No friends, though. Naruto has never interacted with people his age. And yeah, Kyuubi is obviously older than him by... by a lot, but... He must be lonely. He must be.

Naruto's resolve is strengthened. "I'm gonna eat some ramen real quick, and then we're going right back to it, Yugito-neechan, dattebayo!"

The reappearance of his speech tic clearly amuses her. Yugito drags her hand through his hair fondly. "I'm glad you haven't given up," she says, casting a quick glance around the room. "I'm going to clean up while you eat, set up the place. Don't eat too quick or else you'll give yourself indigestion. Take fifteen, then meet me in the middle of the room."

"Got it." Naruto nods sternly, moving for his backpack. He stops, back-pedalling. "Wait. Would you be able to heat up the water for my ramen, Yugito-neechan?"

She stares at him, unimpressed.

"... Pleeeeaaase?"

"Fine. Just this one. Next time, bring some matches, Naruto. For crying out loud."


	2. Introducing: Not-Kakashi

**The Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case**

* * *

The next day Sasuke rises bright and early. Fog covers the early morning village, impenetrable, only relenting as the sun inches over the mountains. Soon, the clouds will rise and Sasuke will go about his day with them hanging over his head, but for now it's a distant concern. There is a small window where there is neither fog or clouds: just their cobbled roads and conical stone buildings. No one was awake to annoy him.

This is the only moment of peace Sasuke knows.

He eats a protein-filled breakfast on the tip of the roof. The first sign of activity is always the stalls coming out.

Suburbs are divided by round platforms built around mountainous peaks, as large as they can be while remaining stable. There are residential peaks, industrial peaks, shopping peaks, and peaks so cloaked by clouds that their existence is debatable. Sasuke and his mom live in an apartment complex in the middle of a marketplace. It's close to the Raikage's office.

When it gets busy, it takes hours to slow down. Sasuke watches like a spiteful god from his perch as Kumo citizens set up shop. His mom likes to make complicated breakfasts; she'll be awake soon.

He swings in through his bedroom window. Sasuke makes his bed — his father was always on him about it, so Sasuke keeps up the habit — and gets ready for his day. Genin have to wear Kumogakure's standard-issue flak jackets to indicate their rank as shinobi, so Sasuke wears that on top of his cool grey t-shirt. The Uchiha fan is printed on its high collar, small and on-the-side. Sasuke won't leave his clan behind, not even here. The pants are wrapped at the hem with bandages, and he puts on his arm guards as well. Who knows? They might be necessary.

As he thought, he sees Mikoto's back when he walks into the kitchen. Fish is cooking, and she has rice boiling on the stove-top. "Sasuke," she greets without turning. Her elbows move in a motion indicating that she's chopping something. "Are you ready for school?"

Sasuke grunts. He isn't going to school, really. The posting will be on the announcement board, as well as his team members, his sensei, and their meeting place. He's graduated. It doesn't count as going to school.

"What are you making?"

"Salmon and miso. Wake up your brother please, he has an appointment today."

Sasuke pauses in pouring himself a glass of milk. "Did the Raikage organize it?"

Mikoto nods. Kagen is checked monthly by the Raikage's trusted medic-nin, Cee, for a dormant kekkei genkai. There's no way to tell if he'll have his sharingan until he awakens it, Sasuke knows that. Every Uchiha-blooded person has the potential, it's only a matter of satisfying the mysterious requirements — which, Mikoto and Sasuke have repeatedly said, are unknown to them.

"Others might know," Mikoto had said. Others did. But they're dead now, and they were all that was left.

Sasuke goes to the blue room. Kagen doesn't wake up when he throws open the door, so Sasuke kicks his bed. Kagen typically wakes slowly. He hasn't started his training yet. His father comes from a civilian family loyal to Kumogakure, and if Kagen doesn't activate the kekkei genkai, he'll inherit from Hidoi.

If he does end up with a sharingan, though, he's definitely screwed. It's too late for him to start training and end up any good.

"Nii-sama?" Kagen croaks. He peers at Sasuke warily through sleep-crusted eyes. "What…?"

"Wake up," Sasuke delivers his message bluntly. He kicks Kagen's bed again for the hell of it, storming back to the kitchen. He finishes his glass of milk and idly chats with his mother about his expectations today. Sasuke is the first shinobi in the household for this village. The graduation exam promised that Kumo was nothing like what Mikoto was familiar with, so she was as curious as Sasuke was.

"You have to tell me all about it," she says when breakfast is ready and she's dishing it out. "Invite your team mates over too, okay? I want to get to know them."

"If they aren't irritating," Sasuke murmurs. She shakes her head at him. He finds everyone irritating and she knows it. Kagen stumbles into the room, finally, freshly bathed and half-asleep. Sasuke shuts up and eats quickly, putting his plate and bowl in the sink when he's done.

"Going already?"

"Hanamizu said 'bright and early,'" Sasuke justifies. He slips on his sandals. "Good luck today, Mom."

She gives him a look. "Shouldn't you be saying that to Kagen?"

Kagen loses all color, as if he couldn't imagine anything worse than being spoken to by Sasuke. In his defense, Sasuke agrees. Because of that, he says nothing, leaving his house and making his way to the Academy. He can't say he took much notice of his classmates. He doesn't have any ideal people he wants to pair with, nor anyone he dreads. Sasuke just hopes, whoever they are, they know how to stay out of his way.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Netsu isn't on her team, but Sasuke is, and some guy named… "Uzumaki Naruto?"

"He's not in our class, right?" Netsu rubs the side of her nose. She looks perplexed. "Am I forgetting someone?"

"I dunno, the name is familiar," Sakura is deep in thought. She _does_ recognize the name, but try as she might, she has no idea what he looks like. Definitely she's never had a conversation with him. Sakura shrugs, mentally brushing away the deja vu. "I'll know when I meet him. Sasuke-kun, however…"

Netsu leers when she catches the look on Sakura's face. "Do you still have a crush on him?"

"I don't have a crush on Sasuke-kun," Sakura splutters. "Who told you that?"

"I see the way you stare at him; it isn't fuinjutsu. Anyone could figure it out. It's exciting though, isn't it? You have a chance to get close to him. Really get to know the guy. Who knows what could happen…"

Sakura punches her best friend in the arm, for once unconcerned by the pained hiss Netsu makes. She deserves it. "You're incorrigible. Help me out: do you know who Darui is? Apparently that's my sensei. I've never heard of him."

"Neither have I, but that doesn't mean anything," Netsu says bluntly. "I don't keep track of those things. The only strong ninja I care about is the Raikage and myself, when I get there."

"Business as usual."

"That's right," Netsu beams. "Tell me how it goes. I really want to know who this Uzumaki guy is. That isn't a Kumogakure clan. Sounds _watery_."

"Could he be from Kirigakure?"

"Beats me. You're coming over for dinner, don't forget. Mom misses you. I think she resents not having you as her actual daughter."

"If the alternative is you… I don't blame her."

Netsu would hit Sakura for that if Sakura wasn't obviously physically superior. Netsu used to playfully smack her a lot before Kai-shishou came into the picture. Now that Sakura's biceps were bigger than most small dogs, not many people crossed her. Considering she used to be bullied for having pink hair and a round, soft face, Sakura isn't too mad about it.

The friends part ways. Sakura's listing says Darui-sensei is waiting at 'ravine seventy-three,' which isn't a place as far as Sakura knows. There are confidential areas that civilians and students aren't allowed to know about. She can take her ID to Intel and ask there.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

"Ravine seventy-three? You must have Darui-kun. It's his favorite place to train; it's pretty low alt, the air isn't as cool. Good for storms."

"Storms?"

"It's his trademark," The intel officer explains. She seems fond of this Darui guy. Storms, too — is that a release? Sasuke's pretty sure you need multiple chakra releases for storm, and it counts as a kekkei genkai. It could be interesting. "You know, I'm surprised you didn't come here with your teammates. A young one like yourself. Pink hair. She was quite polite."

Sakura. Had to be. Sasuke didn't glimpse at his teammates, just his sensei and where he needed to be. If it's her — that's not as bad as it could be. Sakura is a hard-worker. She will stay out of his way.

"I'm not interested in being buddy-buddy with anyone," Sasuke says. The intel officer sends another person away to fetch a map. Ravine seventy-three is apparently difficult to find, secluded and on the outskirts of the village. At least it'll be warmer. Sasuke still isn't used to the cold air here. "Was there anyone else?"

The intel officer shoots him a knowing look. "Yes, a young man wearing orange."

Sasuke blanks out. "What?"

"It's a bold color, right? But it was what he was wearing: bright orange hoodie, orange bandages too. I didn't know wraps came in that color. I think you're going to have a very colorful experience with your team!"

Sasuke — isn't concerning himself with it.

"Can you just get me this map, woman?"

"Amai. It's Amai."

"The _map_."

The intel officer gestures and a scroll mysteriously appears in her hands. Almost, Sasuke thinks, like it was waiting for her signal. "Patience is a virtue," the intel officer winks. "Tell Darui I said hi."

Sasuke intends to do no such thing. He surveys the map as he leaps across rooftops. It's on the lower levels: _the_ lowest levels. Sasuke didn't know there were settlements this low on the mountain. There isn't a set, safe trail either. Sasuke is going to have to scale dangerous terrain just to find this place. It's a training exercise in and of itself. Sasuke needs to buy mountain-climbing equipment.

Alright.

Darui... You have his attention.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Holy shit.

Naruto screams as he skids down the side of a mountain. Damn, damn, damn! Sensei was crazy! Insane!

 _"I'M GONNA DIIIIIEEEEEEE!"_

His foot catches on a natural ledge, but it doesn't help. Instead of stopping, it's small enough to dislodge the tumultuous but steady ride. Naruto is thrown off, now just free falling.

Oh, shit.

Nope. This — this was _way worse_. He has no idea how he is going to salvage this one.

Naruto tries to angle his body towards the closest rock formation. It looks like a straight drop down, cloud gathering making it impossible Naruto can't see the base. It doesn't even matter. If he doesn't stick this landing, he is toast.

 _Kyuubi Kyuubi Kyuubi help me pleeease—_

Kyuubi doesn't respond to Naruto's urgent mental voice. He typically doesn't. Even though Naruto is literally going to die if he doesn't think his way out of the mess he's been thrown into. Naruto screams louder. The rock face is getting closer. There is nothing he can do about it.

Oh… this is going to hurt.

SPLAT!

Naruto collides face-first against the side of the mountain. He's goddamn positive his nose is broken. Kyuubi will fix that, probably. For now Naruto needs to figure out how to stick to this mountain before he reinvents his previous problem of sliding, unchecked, down the side of a scarily smooth mountain.

He doesn't even know if he's on the right track. Ravine seventy-three could have been five ranges ago and Naruto is none-the-wiser. If he had Kyuubi's tail, he could use it to slow his descent, maybe make a controlled climb across these damned things.

As it is…

… he's really going to die.

His screams are echoing now. It's a fever-pitch. Gods will hear him eventually, won't they?

And Bee — Bee won't let him die. He's a jinchuuriki.

The village won't let him die!

From the clouds comes a super big shuriken. Just… _huge_. Naruto screams for entirely different reasons now: it's coming straight for him. Now would be a really, REALLY good time for Kyuubi to wake up and realize that his container was looking mortal perish in the eye and welcoming it into his short-life—

Naruto ducks.

The shuriken connects, catching on his hood and stopping his fall; also choking him, but that's a minor concern when compared to how bad it could have been. Certain death, he said, and it's still true. Another thing launches itself through the clouds: man-shaped, this time. It comes closer. It's not a man, although the short hair and body shape makes Naruto doubtful. If it's a girl, it's not like any girl he's seen before.

She lands on the side of the mountain like it's stable ground. Sticking, like a frog. She squints at Naruto, eyes bright with curiosity. "Uzumaki?"

Naruto blinks moisture back into his dried-out eyes. She has a gigantic battle axe strapped to her back. He makes an educated guess and hopes he's right, or else he's about to offend someone. "Sakura?"

"Yeah," Sakura grins. Thank god. "Nice to meet you. Hey, were we in the same class?"

"No. I was, uh, homeschooled."

Sakura makes a strange face. "I don't think that's a thing, but… eh. You could have climbed it with your chakra, you know."

Naruto's face goes hot. She makes it sound like it was an obvious solution. "Did you learn that in the Academy?"

"What? No. I taught myself on my way over. I've seen shinobi climb walls and stuff, thought I could try it out. It's really easy. I can teach you if Darui-sensei isn't planning to."

Naruto has never felt so inadequate in his life, and he spends most of his time around Yugito and Bee. The Raikage doesn't count. He's just a crabby old guy. Not that impressive, honestly.

And now — Sakura. Now she's something.

"Sure, I'd like that. Thanks for saving me. How'd you know you wouldn't take my head off by the way?"

"I thought it was worth the risk. Either that, or…" Sakura pantomimes Naruto meeting his demise, splatting her fist against her open palm. There are added sound-effects. "At least my way would have been painless."

Naruto tries to eye the shuriken keeping him pinning to the rock. It's really big, he can't stress it enough. "I don't know about that. You're pretty cool, Sakura-chan."

She blinks at him. The smile returns. " _You're_ not, but that's alright, Naruto-kun. Now — try not to squirm, my hands are sweaty and I might drop you."

"Huh?"

She grabs his hoodie in one hand and pulls out the big shuriken with the other. Gravity instantly makes a desperate grab for Naruto's body, but Sakura stoutly holds him up, swings him under her arm like he's a baby, and springs off the side of the mountain. Naruto screams because it's hard not to when death keeps coming for him like this.

Sakura, however, is laughing.

So it isn't just his sensei who's insane…

That's nice to know.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

They navigate the rest of the trip together. It feels a lot like having a stuffed animal: Naruto can't do much without nailing chakra-walking, so Sakura carries him on her back through the dangerous parts. There are a lot of dangerous parts. At least he's stopped screaming: her ears were getting sore.

After ten minutes, Sakura finally hears the sound of rushing water. "I think we're here!"

Naruto tilts his head, then puts his hands over his ears. "Ugh! That's deafening."

She side-eyes him. Does Naruto have enhanced hearing? It's distinct, but still distant. "I bet we just have to climb this and we'll drop right inside the ravine. Gosh, it's warm. I'm not used to this kind of humidity."

Naruto pulls at the collar of his hoodie. "Yeah, can't say I'm a huge fan of it either. Luckily there's water. Think sensei will let us take a quick dip?"

"Probably not. Alright, Naruto-kun. Get on my back."

Naruto, after sighing, climbs on. Sakura secures his thighs around her waist and bounds up the side of the mountain. Amai said that Darui-sensei frequented this ravine a lot. It's kind of intense. If they do this every day, Sakura's legs are going to be amazing. Netsu will be so impressed.

Sakura unloads her teammate at the top. Like she thought, there's the ravine. A thin winding river that's gouged its path through rock over years and years. There's real greenery growing on the side of the wall, but no sight of Darui-sensei or Sasuke. Sakura lands in the water. It comes up to her knees. Seems like Naruto is going to get his dip in the water after all.

"I think they're ahead," she thinks out loud. Naruto lands gracelessly behind her, sending water all up her back. "Naruto!"

"Crap, sorry… Aww, my pants…"

"My _shirt_ ," Sakura growls, but Naruto doesn't see her expression, too busy pouting at his soaked pants. Unbelievable. "Let's just walk, the water has to be coming from somewhere, and this place isn't wide enough for training. It has to lead somewhere."

"If you say so," Naruto easily agrees. "Do you know anything about our other teammate, Sasuke?"

Just the name makes her heart race. Sakura clears her throat. **He's handsome,** Inner giggles, **is that what you want to know, Naruto-baka?**

 _Stop that._

"He's an Uchiha, talented at genjutsu, I think he's practicing with a sword as well. I'm not sure if that was just a rumor or not. Uh, what else… Sasuke-kun is popular."

"The hell? Why?"

"He's — well, he's cool. Handsome. What else do you need?"

"A real reason," Naruto drawls. "Sounds like a tool."

"He isn't," Sakura can't help but snap. "Sasuke-kun is… he's quiet. He's gone through some stuff. You haven't heard about the Uchiha?" Naruto shakes his head. It seems impossible for him to be telling the truth — everyone knows — but he stares at her emptily. "Wow, you're serious,"

"My education was strict. Didn't learn about anything that my teachers didn't think was relevant."

"I'll say. Sasuke-kun's family were murdered. The entire clan. He's from Konoha, but he migrated here with his mother after the massacre."

Naruto whistles lowly. "Huh. So he's from Konoha, too."

" _Too_?"

He shrugs awkwardly. "I was born there. Moved over when I was — young."

"No way," Sakura gasps. She halts, pulls him to a stop, and smacks his arm urgently. Naruto groans like she's hurt him — very likely. Sakura is way too excited to care about that. "I was born there!"

"In Konoha?"

"Yeah!"

"Seriously?"

 _"YEAH!"_

"That's so weird," Naruto says wonderingly. "We're like… we're like a Konoha group. A bunch of former leaves… what is that called? Are we a tree? Branches?"

"I don't think it matters."

"Roots?"

"I really don't think it… anyway, isn't it cool? I wonder if the Raikage did it on purpose. He has to know."

"Probably. Seems like something he'd come up with," Naruto says unconcernedly. He sniffs deeply. "Heads up, Sakura-chan. I'm smelling trees."

 **He can smell trees?**

Sakura mentally shrugged. Who knew what Naruto could do. They'd really have to find out. Following the course of the ravine leads them to an opening. It's a small word for what it really is, but the most accurate. The ravine opens into a proper valley; it's like stepping into a completely different area. The river is loud (deafening, Naruto was right) and surrounded by lush, green grass. There are pine trees here. The stone climbs into the sky around them.

It is quite literally a breath of fresh air.

"Pretty cool," Naruto gawks. "I mean — wow, this is beautiful."

"Konoha looked like this," Sakura says. It just comes out. She tries to avoid comparing things to her former village, Kumo people don't like it, but she thinks Naruto won't mind it. "Everywhere."

Naruto frowns. "That would explain a lot about them. If you saw scenes like this every day, how could you want to damage it? They're soft. I get it. Oi, I think I see someone."

"What, where?"

Even when he points, Sakura doesn't see anything. It's all trees, rocks, and moss. But Naruto is confident. He leads with his hand around her wrist, all but charging. As they get closer Sakura sees the silhouettes: one tall, hunched over, the other shorter, also hunched. They both have their hands in their pockets.

When Sakura can see their faces, it's not too surprising that their expressions are the same kind of blank.

Also, Sasuke is dripping wet.

Beside him has to be Darui-sensei. He's tall, dark-skinned, and has shaggy white hair that covers one eye. He's dressed in loose-fitting white-and-grey uniform. The hilt of a sword pokes out from behind his shoulder.

Darui-sensei rubs back of his neck and says, "Sorry, guys. I forgot how difficult it was to find this place."

 **… He's joking, right? He has to be joking. How do you forget something like that?**

Inner is right — Darui-sensei is being outrageous. Naruto looks incensed. Sakura cuts him off. "You mean this wasn't a test?"

Darui-sensei looks baffled. "Of course not. The Academy doesn't teach wall-walking. I would have gone looking for you but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm really sorry."

Sasuke's expressions turns stormy. Paired with his wet clothes, he looks startlingly similar to an upset cat. It's unbearably cute. Sakura forces herself to stop looking at him before she suffers from palpitations.

"I nearly _died_ , you jerk!"

"Really?"

"Sakura-chan saved my life!"

Darui-sensei looks at Sakura with a mildly curious lift to his eyebrows. "How'd you do that, Sakura?"

Sakura says, "I threw a big shuriken at his head and hoped for the best."

"Ah… that sounds about right."

"I also learned how to wall-walk," Sakura adds. It seems like something she should say. Approval lights up Darui-sensei's face, and Sakura can't help but check Sasuke's face to see if the expression is reflected on him. It isn't. He looks more irritated. "It was simple."

"That's good. One thing I won't have to teach you. The rest of you, however… kind of a drag, isn't it?"

"US?!"

"The situation," Darui-sensei quickly says, then: "Though — you, too. A little. Sasuke used mountain-climbing equipment to get here, but it broke when he was scaling down the ravine and he fell into the water. And you have an excitable attitude. I just don't think our first session is going well."

Sasuke snaps, "Isn't that your fault, though?"

Darui-sensei shrugs. "Yeah. Sorry, again. Do we need to make introductions? You all know each other, don't you?"

Naruto points directly at Sasuke. "Don't know you."

"It's not like you've introduced yourself either, moron."

"Moron?"

"That's what I said. Are you deaf as well as stupid?"

"STUPID?!"

"Right, I guess we can't have that." Darui-sensei sighs. He then proceeds to get Sasuke in a chokehold that immediately shuts the boy up: reasonably, Sasuke looks very alarmed about his new situation. Darui-sensei smiles at Naruto, who looks both wary and overjoyed. "Sorry about him. I think he has an attitude problem. This is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Naruto. You two are going to be teammates from now on so don't go tearing each other's heads off. Boss will be pissed."

Sasuke tries to say something. Darui winces and releases him. Sasuke takes a large, pointed step away from their sensei. He says, "Don't do that again."

Darui-sensei makes a face. "No promises. Naruto, did you get that?"

"I get that you're both jerks and Sakura is the only person on the team who's a good person."

"Not quite the lesson I was going for but I'm glad you're learning at all. Speaking of learning: water-walking. Wanna do that?"

"Right now?" Naruto gapes.

"Not gonna do it tomorrow. You'll need it to get out of here."

That makes sense. Sasuke is already eyeing the sides of the valley, a contemplative expression that brings out the genetic perfection of his entire being. **Not that I don't get where you're coming from, but focus, Sakura-chan.**

Ah, right. There is a time and a place. Sakura raises her hand. "What about me, sensei?"

Darui-sensei rubs his chin and decides. "You can help me with the boys. We can chat while we're at it, I could stand to get to know you better. Water release, is that right? There's a lot I can teach you."

 **Alright!** Inner cries, thrusting her fist in the air. Sakura struggles not to mirror her: that's how she feels as well. She smartly ignores Sasuke and Naruto's glares. It isn't hard. They'll get it in no time. "I'd like that, sensei."


	3. Can Someone Please Talk to Mikoto

**The Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case**

* * *

Sakura was a liar: chakra-walking isn't easy. Naruto has no idea how she taught it to herself on the fly within ten minutes, but he has a newer, deeper respect for his teammate. He's run at these walls a billion times and he just isn't sticking. Sakura is amazing.

His only consolation is that Sasuke hasn't made it up more than a few meters either.

Darui-sensei covers the bottom half of his face with his hand to hide his grimace. "What a drag. I didn't expect you two to have such an issue with this exercise."

Sakura is asleep against a trunk. She managed to learn water-walking sometime between the twentieth and thirtieth time Naruto ran up a wall, fell off that wall, and landed on his head. _It's easy,_ she said.

Sakura is a _liar._

"Can't you teach us how to do it?" Sasuke spits. He has a bruise blooming on his forehead. "Aren't you supposed to be our teacher?"

"I've explained it already. It's about controlling your output. Too much, you blow up. Too little, you might as well not be sticking at all. Naruto — man, I'm surprised you have chakra left: you don't need to use that much!"

"Then how much do I use?"

" _L_ _ess._ "

Naruto wants to put his fist through something. That isn't helpful advice. It's barely advice. Darui-sensei tips his head back and groans. "If you two could swap techniques, you might get it."

It's not the first time Darui-sensei has subtly turned them at each other. Naruto's stance remains the same. "I don't need that bastard's help with something he doesn't know how to do," Naruto crosses his arms.

Sasuke rears up at him. "What is your _problem_?"

"Nothing. I just don't wanna go to you for advice when you're not any better than me!"

"I _am_ better than you," Sasuke shoots back immediately. He makes to step forward, but too many falls has weakened his right leg. It buckles a little. Naruto has fallen twice as much but Kyuubi has been good at fixing him up. Sasuke and his coolness evidently doesn't compare to a jinchuuriki's accelerated healing.

The boy looks furious about his apparent injury. Naruto puts his hand around his ear. "Huh? What was that? I'm not taking shit from a guy who can't land properly!"

"You nearly broke your neck your last run!"

"But I _didn't._ "

"You won't even have to worry about the rocks breaking your neck when I'm right here to do it for you!"

Darui-sensei gets Sasuke in a chokehold again. Naruto is about to laugh when he feels arms lock around him, too. What the hell?! He tries to see who it is . Sakura hasn't moved, and it's only them here.

Darui-sensei sees his panic. "Shadow clone," he explains shortly, then shakes Sasuke in his grip. "If you two don't cool off I will seriously through your asses into the river. It's getting late. Give it a few more tries."

Once he's certain the boys are calm, he lets go. Naruto wheels around to see what Darui-sensei meant by _shadow clone_ : his captor looks exactly like his sensei, identical in every way. Naruto blinks. He pokes it.

Fake-sensei swats his finger away. "The hell, brat?"

Naruto gawks. "Cool. Can I learn this?"

Fake-sensei bluntly says, "Learn how to climb a mountain first, dumbo."

He disappears in a cloud of smoke. Darui-sensei throws two kunai at the rocks. "Five attempts to reach there, then we go back to the village." Darui-sensei rubs the back of his neck. "Jeez, what a pain…"

Sasuke looks mullish. "And if we can't?"

"More like when. Well, me and Sakura will have to piggyback you two home. How does that sound?"

By Sasuke's audibly grinding teeth: horrible.

Naruto made the trip here on Sakura's back. He won't hate going through it again, but he'd still rather not. It was embarrassing enough the first time. Besides, Bee would strain a muscle laughing if he ever heard about today. Luckily Naruto doesn't plan on telling him shit. Not that Bee won't find out by himself.

He can be tricky when he's focused.

Freshly motivated not to be humiliated, Naruto storms over to Sasuke. He's just started running for the wall. Naruto grabs the back of his shirt to stop him.

He doesn't like it. Probably because it's been happening to him all day. " _What_?"

Naruto says, "Show me how you do it."

"No."

"You're not even gonna think about it?!"

"Why would I want to help you?" Sasuke says derisively. "Besides, I can't."

Because he can't do it either. Yeah, yeah. Obviously. "No shit. I wanna know how to make less chakra. Show me that."

Sasuke opens his mouth, then stops. He has to try three times. " _Make less_?"

"I have a lot of chakra."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I have an ocean, bastard, and I'm trying to use a teaspoon of that to climb this stupid wall and it _isn't working._ I don't know what a teaspoon feels like. It's too small, it feels like I'm not using anything!"

Sasuke still doesn't look like he gets it. He probably has a puny amount of chakra. He wouldn't understand. "Just… use… less… How the hell do I explain that?"

"What does it feel like to you?"

"'Feel like' — like a small amount of chakra on my feet!"

"Show me!"

Sasuke shoves Naruto back with a hand on his chest. "Chakra isn't visible, you idiot!"

Naruto stops.

"Eh?"

"You can't see chakra. Not without a kekkei genkai or something, like the byakugan or… but otherwise, it's invisible. I can't _show you_."

"You can see chakra," Naruto says dumbly. He knows you can see chakra. He sees his and Yugito's and Bee's literally all the time. " _You can see chakra_ , Sasuke."

Now he is looking at Naruto like he's really concerned about his ability to think. It's a powerful expression for someone who barely has a face to begin with. Sasuke says, "I swear you can't. Who told you that?"

"No one told me that!"

"Then why do you think it?"

"Because—"

Darui-sensei appears between them. He has a hand on their heads, lightly for now. "Are you two still arguing?"

Sasuke turns to him and says, "This idiot thinks chakra can be seen."

Naruto replies, "Stop calling me that when you think chakra is invisible!"

Darui-sensei blinks at them. Then he brings their heads together with a resounding _crack_! "You are wasting my time, you drags. Talk about that later. Right now I'm sure Sakura has other shit she wants to be doing."

"She's sleeping," Sasuke grumbles under his breath. Darui-sensei gives him a look.

"Because she's earned it. Up the wall. Hurry." He sends Sasuke along by putting his foot on Sasuke's back and pushing him. Sasuke stumbles, glares, then tries to run up the wall. Predictably it does not go too well.

Darui-sensei looks like he wants to sit down and not look at either of them. He seems exasperated when Naruto stands by his side.

"Naruto," he says, "why are you still here."

"Oh. Crap, yeah, I'll just—"

" _Up._ "

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Sasuke lands on his back for the last time today. He hears Naruto meet a similar fate beside him, and grits his teeth against a pained sound. He's furious and it is enough to get him up again, but before he _can_ , Darui picks him up by the back of his shirt.

Sidenote: Sasuke is getting sick of _that_.

"Good job," Darui says lowly. He eyes Sasuke critically. "How do you feel?"

Like every injury that didn't heal from his fight with Kiyona has multiplied by the dozen. "Let go of me," he snaps, jerking out of Darui's hold. The man holds his hands up lackadaisically. "So that's it?"

"For now. We'll try again tomorrow. Sakura and I will have to carry you both here though, so wait at the Yotsuki range for us."

"I don't need an _escort._ "

"You kind of do." Darui says. He goes over to tell Naruto the great news — he takes it with a rosy face and clenched fist but no outburst, shockingly enough — and then wakes up Sakura. She doesn't seem to mind being told that she's carrying one of her teammates, but does ask for Naruto.

"I'm used to him," she explains. She won't look at Sasuke.

What follows is a twenty minute trip that Sasuke forces himself to forget as soon as it happens. Darui talks with Sakura and Naruto the entire time, but Sasuke hatefully maintains his silence. Everything about this situation is unbecoming. The fact that Sakura could do it proves that it isn't challenging, that Sasuke's inadequacy is a personal failing and nothing less than. Itachi probably—

Sasuke flinches away from the thought.

Yotsuki range is not too far from the gates of the village and marks the beginning of their trip to ravine seventy-three. Darui lets Sasuke off when they get there. "Did your pride survive that, kid?"

Sasuke glares with as much venom as he can muster. Not much: Darui is unmoved.

"Alright, you guys know the drill. Here, tomorrow at six. After we get this chakra stuff down, I can do proper training and get us some missions."

A fire lights itself in Naruto's eyes. "You'll get us a mission?!"

"We gotta do some other stuff first…"

"A _real mission_?!"

"The whole not-listening-to-me thing is going to be a real drag in the future, Naruto."

"Woo!" Naruto hollers, proving Darui's point. He forces a high-five from an obliging Sakura, blows a raspberry at Sasuke, then dances around the group singing, "Mission! Mission! Mission!"

He's an idiot.

"The rest of you can go," Darui waves at them. "Just let him do his thing. Again, good work today."

Sakura goes pink around the ears. "Thanks, sensei. See you later, Naruto-kun, and, um, you too Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke steamrolls right over her without acknowledging what she has said. He's invested in putting as much distance between _him_ and _them_ as he can in the short amount of time he has. There's no need to say goodbye when his actions do the trick perfectly well.

It's an uncomfortable walk home. Mikoto doesn't know any medical jutsu, so Sasuke will have to lather himself in healing salve and hope for the best. The sun has long since set when Sasuke arrives home: dinner is being eaten.

Mikoto, Kagen, and Hidoi are sitting around the table. Sasuke's plate is already set between his mother and Kagen.

"You're late," Mikoto scolds before taking in his state. "Oh my. Do you want to bathe, Sasuke?"

He should. He smells, he's filthy, and his clothes were dumped in dirty river water. Sasuke wasn't raised to sit at dinner like he is now. One glance at Hidoi confirms his next course of action. Sasuke sits down and pulls his plate in close. He eats like he's starved.

Hidoi makes a disapproving noise. "Sasuke—"

"He's hungry, Hidoi," Mikoto interrupts. She sounds amused. If they were in Konoha, she would have sooner killed herself than let Sasuke stink-out her kitchen. "How was training?"

Sasuke makes eye contact with Hidoi, speaking with his mouth full. "Intense."

"I can see that. Did you learn anything?"

"Getting there. This is delicious, mom."

"Thank you, sweetie. Kagen helped with the eggs, aren't they wonderful?"

He grunts neutrally. The kid should start pulling his weight around somehow. "I like yours more," he says, then focuses on clearing his plate. He's done in what feels like a minute.

As he rises for seconds, Mikoto snaps her chopsticks together. She points over his shoulder. "Clean up, then you can eat more."

He knew she wouldn't last. Well, Hidoi looks apoplectic, so Sasuke supposes they've done the best they can. He showers, runs a bath, and sits in the scalding water until his muscles have loosened up. He applies the salve before putting on his clothes.

The kitchen is mostly cleared when Sasuke returns. Mikoto is going over Kagen's school work. She gets bored a lot now that she's retired from the force. "Your serving is in the fridge."

Sasuke eats slower this time. Mikoto asks about his day; he tells her enough to satisfy her curiosity but doesn't get into it. She hums, fascinated. "I didn't learn chakra-walking for a while. I guess it's more important in Kumo. The mountain ranges, you know."

Yeah, Sasuke knows. He just finished learning all about it. "How was Konoha's test?"

"It was a teamwork thing. Konoha valued comradery above all else," They share a wry, disbelieving look. "Hypocritical, I know, but it was valuable for genin to learn. I met my best friend on that team. Do you have anyone like that?"

"No."

"No? Not even the girl, what did you say her name was?"

"Sakura?"

"Yes, her. She sounds nice. Determined, too. Usually girls get too flustered around you, but this one has her head screwed on right."

Sasuke shrugs. He doesn't have the highest opinion of her at this very moment. Explaining will just make his mother laugh at him, so he moves on, "Well, the other one is an idiot, so she isn't the worst."

"The boy?"

"Some nobody called Naruto."

Mikoto looks startled. "Naruto?"

Sasuke squints. She's sitting rigidly, and seems genuinely surprised to hear that name. She definitely recognizes it. That's odd, because Naruto has come out of _nowhere_ and Darui didn't even explain it. He's like some sort of ghost. "You know him?"

Mikoto opens her mouth. "I — know the name. It must be more popular than I thought. Sorry, I was just surprised. Carry on."

… Weird.

"Are you sure?"

"It can't be the person I'm thinking of." She says firmly. "Really, it caught me off-guard. I want to hear more. How is your sensei?"

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

"He's the _best_!" gushes Sakura over the buzzing of Kai-shishou's sander. Her voice is muffled by the protective face mask she's wearing. "I think it's gonna go great! We were talking and he has so many ideas. He has water release like me, so he's going to teach me all these jutsu and he has a sword too so he can help me with my form and—"

The sander cuts off. Kai-shishou pushes up his face mask to ask: "Are you replacing me?"

"No!"

"Hmm. Sure." Kai-shishou flips his mask down before Sakura can say _anything_. "Well, don't stop there motor mouth. I want you to finish speaking before I'm done restoring this hatchet so I don't have to listen."

Sakura puts her hands on her hips. "Shishou I know you can hear me perfectly well."

He turns on the sander. It is so loud. "Huh? Are you speaking, Sakura? Speak up!"

Sakura rolls her eyes. Whatever, he's just jealous. She won't replace her shishou. He has been her teacher for years, teaching her to fight with axes and projectiles, and is the man in charge of her regime during the Academy. Sakura wouldn'tbe half the woman she is now without Kai-shishou's attention.

She wouldn't just forget that.

Sakura talks all through Kai-shishou's process. She helps where she can when he moves onto other projects, typical blacksmithing stuff: sharpening, moulding, grinding. "And how's your aunt?"

"She sent me over to your place so I would stop yapping her ear off. Her words."

Kai-shishou scoffs, pushing his hand through his copper hair. "I'll have to pay her back. Did you go to Netsu's place already?"

"Of course. She still wants you to make her a sword, shishou."

"Tell her that I'll do that when she can lift it. She has the muscle definition of an overcooked noodle."

"Not at all like me, eh?"

He flicks her forehead reproachfully. "You can start bragging when you go up a weight class, Sakura. Your sensei can help there. I don't know enough about chakra to be of any assistance."

Sakura smiles warmly at the older man. "You have your specialties, shishou."

"You don't have to tell me that. Now let's move onto a topic that interests me. Your axes. Do they need any work?"

"I chipped one two weeks ago," Sakura confesses. Kai-shishou groans loudly. "I didn't mean to!"

He waves her scrambling away. "No, no, I expected it to happen eventually — not _before_ you graduated, of course. You're going to need heads made of tougher metals, real military grade materials. I'll have to take them from you to upgrade them."

"Oh, sure. I can get them out now?"

"... Later. I'm going to get started on tea. I want to hear about your teammates. Sasuke — is he the one you had a crush on?"

Sakura is on _fire_.

"WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT."

He laughs under his breath and ushers her into the kitchen. "You're many things but subtle isn't one of them. Hey, quick — do you think your axes need chakra-conductive metal?"

"Eh, I'm a water-type. Sorry shishou, but that's not complementary."

He hums, slightly disappointed. "That makes sense. If one of your teammates gets into weapons work, make sure to point them to me. I really wanna work with the iron I got imported."

Sakura promises she'll talk about it with Sasuke. Inner shifts nervously. **Are we honestly gonna have the guts to talk to Sasuke-kun? Realistically speaking.**

Ha!

… No. Shishou doesn't need to know.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

The room is dark and small. Considering the size of his ego, it's amazing that Sasuke doesn't feel claustrophobic in here. Naruto does: he's used to wide-open spaces, and Sasuke's home is surprisingly modest in size. Freakily clean, though. _That_ meets expectations.

Naruto tiptoes to avoid tripping on all the zero things on Sasuke's spotless floor. He sleeps on an elevated bed pushed against the wall. His drawers don't have anything on them but his bedside table has a lamp and a picture frame.

Naruto picks it up because he's curious. So what? It's just a picture of a family: Sasuke's presumably. He's recognizable, although barely because he's smiling and Naruto wasn't aware that he could. There's his mom, his dad, and another kid who is taller than Sasuke and standing behind him. He's looking down at Sasuke with a sweet smile on his face. It's a good photo. If Naruto had one like that…

The Kyuubi rumbles with cruel amusement. It's enough to snap Naruto out of his head. He replaces the frame where it belongs and gets started on what he came here to do.

"Sasuke," says Naruto, pushing his shoulder. "Oi, bastard—"

What Naruto isn't expecting is for Sasuke to be friggin' _psychotic._ Sasuke lashes out as soon as he is touched, throwing a fist into Naruto's gut to knock the wind out of him. He's barely keeled over when he's forced to the floor, Sasuke on top of him and holding a kunai to his neck.

That's not the weirdest thing. The lights are off but the window is still open — it's a full moon. Naruto is pretty sure that Sasuke doesn't normally have glowing red eyes.

Naruto goes to shout. Sasuke shoves his hand over his mouth.

" _You…_ " Sasuke hisses lowly, eyes narrowing into furious slits. "You have five seconds to explain why you broke into my house, Naruto. And then I'm going to break your face."

As if he could. Sasuke isn't as tough as he thinks.

The hand is taken off. Naruto wastes a second just catching his breath. Then he wastes the next by asking: "What's with the eyes? They're freaky, man."

"Five," says Sasuke, shifting the kunai to remind him that it is definitely still there. " _Four."_

"Okay, okay, jeez. Paranoid much? Look I tried to move on but I couldn't stop thinking about what you said earlier. While we were training, 'ttebayo, do you remember? You said chakra was invisible. It isn't. Sasuke, _it's not_. Why do you think that? I have to know and that's why I'm here. I couldn't get to sleep it was bothering me so bad. It took me ages to figure out where you lived, it is way later than I thought it would be. Chakra isn't invisible. We have to talk about this."

Definitely went over his time limit. But Sasuke looks like he's forgotten to keep track of that. Naruto is fine.

Sounding dazed, Sasuke asks, "Do you have brain damage?"

" _What?"_

"Shut up. Keep your voice down, you'll wake my mom up," Sasuke stares at Naruto like he's a new kind of specimen. "Actually, just get out of my house. Now."

Seems like this ignorance is more dangerous than Naruto feared. He holds out his arm — Sasuke watches it like a snake but doesn't, like, amputate it (he might: Naruto doesn't know) — and says: "I have proof that it's visible."

"I can see it," Sasuke admits. Then he glares. "But only because of my… my…"

"Eyes," Naruto helps. Sasuke doesn't seem to know the word. Or appreciate his assistance. He's grinding his teeth again.

"Only dojutsu reveal chakra pathways. Any other time it can't be seen. I am going to throw you out the window, Naruto."

"But I can _show you!_ "

Sasuke tenses up, throwing a panicked look at the door. "Volume, idiot—"

Naruto pulls on his chakra and gathers it around his arm. He was taught centralization when he was six; it's easy to focus it in one place and then keep at it. He pools his chakra into his arm, drawing on the miniscule pool of ever-present Kyuubi chakra he can access without needing to ask. Pointedly and smugly, he stares at the swirling mass of blue-and-orange.

Sasuke, in awe of Naruto's mad skills, stops breathing. He waves it around in his face in case the bastard tries to pretend his chakra isn't _right in front of him._ "I told you. You can see it! What are you going on about that it's invisible? That isn't true at all,"

Sasuke snatches his bicep to stop Naruto from moving it. There's a peculiar wrinkle between his eyebrows. "It's hot. How."

"Chakra nature? I dunno, never asked. I know someone who feels a bit like water,"

"You know other people who can do this?"

"Yeah, about three? My sister, my brother, _his_ brother; we're not blood-related, they just raised me. Is that relevant? Have you seriously not seen this before?"

"Naruto," Sasuke starts, visibly alarmed and also undeniably fascinated. His eyes are roving over Naruto's arm like he's committing the sight to memory. At least the kunai is gone. "Do you have any idea how much chakra you have—"

Then the door slams open, and some lady is shouting Sasuke's name.

Sasuke actually leaps. It's like Yugito when she's surprised: a micro spasm, like a shocked cat.

"Mom!"

His _mom_ looks a second away from a mental breakdown. Now that he's distracted, Naruto twists his hips and throws Sasuke the hell off of him, sitting up and dispelling the chakra around his arm. It'll be too much of a pain to keep it up right now.

Besides, what's happening seems urgent. And possibly Naruto's fault.

Sasuke's mom flicks on the light. Her eyes cut straight to Naruto. They, much like her son's, are bright red with black decals that definitely aren't pupils. "Minato?" She gasps, and that is not _anyone's_ name. Where did she get that from.

Oh no. Is Sasuke's mom crazy too?

"I'm Naruto, lady," he corrects, rubbing his neck. No wound, but yes to blood. Sasuke has issues. "Sorry for breaking into your house; I had to ask Sasuke something."

Sasuke's mom is speechless.

"We shouldn't have woken you up, sorry."

His mom blinks. Her eyes are black again. She exhales heavily; she can't hide the tremor in her hands. She must be really protective of Sasuke.

"You… look like someone I knew," She says flatly. She hasn't stopped staring at Naruto. "You don't act like him, though."

Naruto blinks. "What do you mean?"

"That chakra," she says abruptly, "it was yours?"

"Uh, yeah."

"But that doesn't… why are you _here?_ "

"I told you: I had to talk to Sasuke."

"That's not what I meant — Sasuke!" She whips around to face Sasuke, who so far has been standing to the corner of the room trying to disappear into the panelling. He turns into a statue with his mother's attention on him. "You can't have visitors in your room without telling me first, those are the rules!"

"He's not a visitor. He's an intruder."

Naruto snorts. "Am _not."_

"You broke in and I didn't invite you — you're an intruder."

There is plenty Naruto can say to that, such as him being a genius because he is right about the chakra thing and how Sasuke can suck eggs, when someone joins Sasuke's mom at the door. A child.

"Go back to bed, Kagen," Sasuke says immediately. His tone is freezing cold.

The kid, Kagen, flinches. "I was just…"

Sasuke emits an over the top threatening aura. Naruto stomps over to bonk him over the head. His wrist is caught, but Sasuke isn't trying to kill a four-year-old with his eyes anymore.

"He's just a kid, lay off."

"Mind your business," Sasuke snaps painfully. "Kagen, _scram."_

Kagen still hesitates. Sasuke's mom sighs sharply, eyeing them critically, before carding her fingers through Kagen's hair. "Go back to bed, sweetie. I have everything covered. Is your dad awake?"

He shakes his head. "He's a heavy sleeper."

"Thank god for that. Go, I'll talk to you when I'm finished with your — with Sasuke."

Her words convince Kagen to leave. Sasuke watches him leave with dark eyes. His voice is utterly monotonous when he says, "I'm sorry, mom. I wasn't expecting this idiot to make a ruckus at three in the morning."

"Two, actually," she corrects, before pausing. "It's — it isn't your fault, Sasuke… _Naruto_."

Naruto snaps his head up: Sasuke's mom is staring dead-on, sharp and calculating. He hopes Sasuke doesn't inherit that stare. It could turn someone to stone. "Next time plan your visit during reasonable hours, please. And come through the front door."

Naruto swallows, certain that he's just gotten off easy. A quick check of Sasuke confirms it. The bastard looks disappointed that Naruto isn't being chewed out. "I will, Mrs... uh..."

"Kimura Mikoto." She tells him. "Call me Mikoto-san."

"Sure, Mikoto-oba-chan."

She doesn't even look surprised. For Sasuke, however, it's the last straw. He grabs Naruto by the back of his neck, draws him in to whisper, "We are _so_ not done, moron," and without much fanfare at all, throws Naruto out of his room. He lands in some rose bushes.

Picking thorns out of his butt, Naruto whisper-shouts: "You're just mad that I was correct the entire time!"

Sasuke sticks his head out so his unimpressed face is on show, then pointedly slams the window shut.


	4. Essential Team Bonding Episode

**The Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case**

* * *

If you aren't cheating, you aren't doing whatever it takes to win.

Sakura can't say who taught her that, if it was her aunt or her teacher. Hell, she hasn't crossed Netsu off the list yet. It might be a Kumo-thing instead of an individual ideology-thing. Sakura kicked a classmate in the groin once, and Hanamizu-sensei punished Aina for being "stupid enough to leave herself open." All Sakura knows for sure is that it didn't come from her parents.

They always were… peculiar. But they didn't know better.

She does.

There is no honor in battles. There is no pride. There are winners, losers; victory, defeat. People who cheat, and people who die. That is the reality. It's tough. Life is like that sometimes. Surviving is just gritting your teeth and getting through it no matter what it takes.

Sakura considers herself a good person: she is polite, she is pleasant to be around, and she doesn't burden others. But Sakura isn't kind.

She thinks there is no room to be. When you're young you have what adults call _potential_. It's empty spaces inside of you that you will grow into and fill out. There's only so much space for that, so you have to decide carefully what kind of person you want to be, and hope that's who you turn out as. If you have a lot of potential, it's freedom — you can fill the gaps with more, because you have the space to choose.

Sakura isn't one of those people. She has limited advantages to work with. She budgets it meticulously.

Every decision matters.

Sakura used to want to be kind. She wanted to be someone others turned to when they needed a sympathetic shoulder. She wanted adults to pat her on the shoulder and say, " _Y_ _ou're such a nice girl."_ Of course that changed when she came to Kumogakure. Nice isn't enough, not here. Nice makes you soft. Soft gets you hurt. She doesn't have the space for niceness anymore.

You see, Sakura's hair is too short to brush her shoulders. She maintains the length now because it's convenient, but the first cut wasn't by choice.

Aina held her down and hacked at it with a kunai when they were eight. It was too pretty, she said. _Pretty is for flowers, Sakura. Do you know what happens to flowers? They get ripped out of the ground and put on display until they rot… or they get trampled on. You don't want that to happen to you, do you?_

(She deserved the crotch-shot.)

So — Sakura adapted.

No more long hair. No more dresses. No more flinching away from the cheap shots.

She bought shorts and found herself a weapons master and taught herself to seek out vulnerabilities in others. It was tough, but _life_ is tough, and the only way to overcome it is to be tougher.

 _If you aren't cheating…_

Naruto isn't like that.

Sakura has been watching him for two hours and he hasn't realised what's happening. He talked with Sasuke when they arrived. Advice. He had smiled when Sasuke cooperated.

 **You've been duped, you poor idiot,** says Inner. She sounds vindictively pleased about it: any victory of Sasuke's is a victory for her. Naruto continues blasting himself off the wall. Sasuke has encouraged him towards overpowering his feet and now Naruto is one more fall from a cracked skull. **I can't believe he hasn't caught on yet.**

Sakura isn't surprised. The blond is different from them. From others. It's obvious in the way he speaks, too casual and rapid. He doesn't respect personal space. He doesn't catch onto emotional or facial cues unless they're blaringly obvious. If Sasuke appeared to help him, Naruto would not question it. Yesterday, he missed a lot of Sakura's passive-aggressive comments. She's sure he has no idea.

 _It isn't his fault,_ Sakura reprimands. Inner is unrepentant. She wants to talk to Sasuke, who is making slow progress up the wall. It's a bad idea. He seems to prefer when Sakura doesn't remind him that she's surpassed him in this.

That's funny. Because Sakura is the top kunoichi of their year. She's been outclassing Sasuke for a while now.

Now, for Naruto…

First off, let's make it clear. Sakura doesn't feel bad for him. Not even a little bit.

But objectively speaking, this is pitiful. And painful. And a waste of her time. Darui-sensei is not teaching her because the boys have zero talent. It's irritating.

That's why Sakura storms over to him. That's why she sits down and says, "I want you to do something."

She passes him a leaf. Naruto dryly says, "Gee, thanks. What do I do with it."

"Stick it to your forehead."

"What? No, I need to climb the—"

"You can't," she interrupts him, tempted to slap him for it. "You have no concept of holding back. Sheer force isn't going to help; this exercise requires finesse. Apparently you haven't learned that, so that's where you start."

Naruto turns the leaf over in his palm. He doesn't have calluses. Sakura wonders why. "Is sticking a stupid leaf supposed to help me?"

"That's the idea,"

"How?"

"It's smaller. And sure, the concepts are not completely the same: sticking a leaf to your head is way easier than walking up a wall. But don't focus on that. It's about getting down the _sticking_ part. I think that's where you're struggling. You're running before you can crawl."

Although he's doubtful, Naruto gets comfortable on the ground as if he doesn't intend to move for a while. "Okay…" He says slowly — his uncertainty is almost insulting. Naruto slaps the leaf to his forehead and screws his eyes shut. "If anyone knows what they're talking about, it's Sakura-chan…"

Her nerves tingle at the compliment. Her voice is warmer when she says, "You can do it, Naruto-kun. I believe in you."

He keeps his eyes closed and grins. She leaves him to it. Darui-sensei is laying on his back watching the clouds. Sakura hesitates as she draws nearer. He notices, gesturing her over with a lazy hand.

Sakura sits on a nearby rock. "Good of you to help him out," he says.

"I don't want to watch the Incompetent Show all week, that's all."

"Still. I'm sure he appreciates it. He'll remember you helping him out, you know,"

"As long as he gets it and we can move on, finally!"

Darui-sensei snorts. "Alright, alright. I get it... I hear you have weapons?"

Sakura perks up, "Uh, yes. Axes. I've trained with them for six years."

"Six. Pretty impressive. Ax _es_ — that's two?" He hums when she confirms it. "Are you satisfied with them?"

"Of course," Sakura says baffled.

"And how would you feel about learning another weapon?"

Her stomach drops with nerves. "Are you talking about your sword, sensei?"

To her immense relief, Darui-sensei chuckles again, recognizing that the idea is preposterous. Sakura is stoutly built. Swords require flexibility. Sakura… isn't. "No," Darui-sensei rumbles, half-smiling, "God, no. I'm thinking something with a chain. You'll need to get an edge on long distance fighters. Do you know what a kusarigama is?"

It takes some thinking but eventually Sakura recognizes it. Kai-shishou has crafted some in front of her. He never explained what it does but she easily guessed just from the design. The chain gave away its purpose.

"It's a flail weapon."

"It seems more your style than a chigiriki," he says. The difference between a chigiriki and kusarigama is essentially pointiness. "Kusarigama are more up my alley too. In the end it depends on what you're more comfortable with. If you want to try out a chigiriki, I can find a teacher for you."

"I wouldn't even know where to start with a chigiriki. Kusarigama's sound acceptable."

Sickles are just small axes, aren't they?

"That is a plan. Of course I have to go over mission codes, sign language, build up your arsenal or jutsu, improve your hand-to-hand…"

Briefly, Darui-sensei looks overwhelmed by the size and weight of what's lying ahead. All the stuff he has to do with Sakura, he also has to do with two other kids who will probably require their unique regime. Darui-sensei can't mess this up. By the way he's spacing out, Darui-sensei already suspect he has.

As Sasuke grunts and slides down the wall scrabbling for purchase, Sakura can't exactly argue with that.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Feet are the hardest place to channel chakra. It's one thing to learn and a completely different thing to _k_ _now._

"Damn it!"

Sasuke wipes sweat off his forehead, seething. He is one failure away from a rage-induced heart attack. His blood pressure is already way up: it's pounding in his ears, and just the idea of how close he is to losing control shakes Sasuke enough for him to take in deep, even breaths. He's always had a temper, worse after _that_ night. He isn't about to let it control him now.

To take his mind off his task, Sasuke checks on the others: Sakura and Darui are locked in a deep conversation. Darui is half-lidded and looks disinterested, but his hands are moving, engaged, while Sakura soaks his attention up like a sponge. Sasuke turns away, a scoff stuck in his throat.

That leaves Naruto. Contrary to expectation he isn't throwing himself at the wall — he's sitting down, eyes closed, pressing his hand to his forehead.

 _… What?_

It becomes clear when the hand moves. A leaf. It stays on his forehead for some seconds before falling: Naruto releases a frustrated groan, then picks it up and starts over. He's dirty but relatively energized; like he's been there for a while. How long has he been doing it?

The next time, the leaf sticks for about half a second longer. Naruto doesn't notice, but Sasuke does.

He knows instantly who is to blame.

Naruto doesn't have the necessary brain cells to realize he was sabotaged, but their female teammate has them in spades. She must have felt bad for him. Not surprising. Naruto makes it easy.

Starting off at the basics is… it feels a bit like giving up, if he's being honest. That said, whatever Naruto is doing is obviously helping. Maybe that's the secret. Sasuke has been scornful of Naruto's repetitive bull-headed efforts, but in the end, what was _he_ doing differently?

Shit.

Before he knows what's happening, Sasuke is in front of him. Naruto is so absorbed in his task it takes a sharp, _"Hey,"_ to grab his attention. His mouth drops open.

"Sasuke?"

He doesn't sound angry. Cautious, but that isn't anger. He still doesn't know. He's so goddamn slow.

"Why are you doing that."

"The leaf thing? Sakura told me to. She said I was…" He lowers his voice, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wait, why should I help you? _Your_ advice was trash, I swear I was getting worse."

Sasuke's nails bite into his skin. He can't have his cover blown _now_ : he needs to know what Sakura said. It could be his only shot.

"How was I supposed to know it wouldn't work for you?" Naruto pauses, considering Sasuke's blatant lie. "I helped you out. Now help me out."

"What do I get out of it?"

"Nothing. That's… we're balancing the scales. You get to do that."

"Not enough," he decides firmly and crosses his arms, "I want you to say I'm the smartest person you have ever met."

Sasuke knows he should stop himself but the snide comment is already out of his mouth. "You're not even close, moron."

Naruto's eyes flash. He says, "Fine. Then no advice for you, bastard."

He goes right back to sticking the leaf to his forehead. Sasuke would follow his lead if didn't already know how to do this exercise. He needs to know _why,_ so he can tailor it for his own attempts. If he has an idea of the theory, that changes things.

Eventually, desperation wins out over his sheer need to be difficult. "You are the…"

God.

"Smartest," Naruto sings. "Say it, Sasuke. I am the _smartest_ …"

"... smartest person I have— Naruto, come on—"

"Smartest person you have ever _what_?"

Sasuke exhales deliberately through his nose and says, "... the smartest person I have ever met." Naruto grins with all his teeth. Sasuke is very tempted to hit them. " _What did Sakura say._ "

Looking unbelievably proud of himself, he reveals, "We're running before we can crawl!"

Sasuke waits. When nothing more follows, his tenuous grip on his sanity slips and he kicks Naruto over. His arms spiral as he tries to balance himself. Sasuke sneers, "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? What did she really say?"

"THAT!"

"How is that going to help me?!"

"That isn't _my_ problem! It wasn't even meant for you, bastard!"

Sasuke growls and goes back to his own wall. _Running before he can crawl_? What did that even mean? Sasuke can do the leaf exercise, it was insultingly basic. He is ready to run.

"SASUKE!"

"Oh my god. What."

"Keep it simple! It works for me!"

"It isn't and it doesn't," says Sasuke coldly. Resolving to forget about certain morons, he goes right back to his favorite method of doing things the exact same way and hoping for different results, evidently by divine intervention.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

It's an accident.

Naruto is meditating on his stupid leaf and next thing he knows, he hears dripping water echoing in a cavernous space. He opens his eyes to a dark sewer. The water around his ankles ripples after a great exhale skates over the top of it.

Kyuubi's huge red eyes are almost closed, bright beacons of fire in an otherwise pitch black space.

Another breath. This one blows Naruto's hair back from his face.

"What are you doing here?" Kyuubi asks. The sewer vibrates with his barely-leashed power. "If it's to ask for help, you might as well leave."

"I didn't mean to come here," Naruto corrects him. It's cold here. It always is, unless Kyuubi is feeling pissy. "I was just thinking about chakra and… Hey, Kyuubi. Good to see you. How've you been?"

"Are you trying to make me angry?"

"No," Naruto lies. He kind of is. The Kyuubi and him only interact when he's annoying enough. It's how Naruto takes control. Every other time it's the Kyuubi giving him shit for being a human being or something. "So you aren't gonna help out?"

"Why should I? Maybe if you never get this, you'll be deemed unnecessary and I can taste a bit of freedom for a change."

"The old man won't kill me!"

"It may not be his initial intention, but a vessel who can't fight is useless to a man like him. He'll try and fail to trap me into someone he can control, and you will perish in the aftermath. Forgotten. That is your future."

"It's just chakra-walking," Naruto mutters defensively; Kyuubi has a point and that's the scariest thought of all. Worse is that he _knows_ how strong his beast is in a way the Raikage can't understand. If Kyuubi breaks free of Naruto, he will destroy everything. No one in this village is strong enough to stop him.

Naruto is called a human sacrifice for a reason.

"There is always more to see if one looks underneath the underneath. Hey, brat," His urgent tone catches and pulls at Naruto's dwindling attention. "Watch out for the Uchiha."

Whether Naruto is more surprised by the warning or the subject, he can't tell you. Before he can drill the Kyuubi for details, he's being flung from the sewer. Naruto opens his eyes, cross-legged on uneven terrain. Sakura is swinging an imaginary sword while she talks to Darui. Sasuke is doing as Sasuke does.

Naruto looks closely. The other boy is sweating amd bruised, limping as he hides an injury. He has progressed a little bit up the wall. He's perfectly innocuous if not completely irritating. He doesn't even give off a bad vibe. Naruto can't see what alarms the Kyuubi enough for him to essentially tell him to keep his distance.

 _He's just war-mongering,_ Naruto tells himself. That's what the Kyuubi does.

Even so, it takes him another full minute before he's able to focus on his own task.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Sasuke has met talent. He knows genius. He's familiar with prodigies. It's hard to remember the beginning days, and not entirely because of age, but he's sure Itachi was walking on walls since — since Sasuke can recall. It's always been like that. Itachi set the impossible standard and Sasuke, the second son, failed spectacularly to meet them.

Well, at least he's carrying on tradition. The day concludes with two people unable to master a basic exercise. After being put down by Darui at Yotsuki range, Sasuke goes to leave.

His collar is caught by his teacher, who drags him back. "I've decided," he says, "that we are going to do some team bonding." He then stares at Sasuke with lazy reprimand in his face, already anticipating protests. "Non-negotiable. So pick a restaurant; my shout."

Sasuke bites his tongue. Darui's hold tightens on his shirt threateningly.

Naruto pouts. "What do we need some crummy team bonding for? Me and Sakura-chan are solid!"

"And Sasuke?"

"Meh. What about him?"

"My point stands. Look, I am aware that the village doesn't exactly peddle warm and fuzzy feelings between your fellow shinobi. But I'm speaking from a place of experience when I tell you that you — _personally_ — will excel when you have people you can rely on."

"Do you have someone like that, sensei?"

"Yeah. My partner, Cee. I wouldn't be the person I am today without him."

"And now you want to impose that co-dependence on your unwilling students,"

Darui shakes him gently and says, "I do, yes. Because I am trying to help you ungrateful brats to be less of a burden to each other and me. Now. Restaurant. Any ideas?"

Sakura is the only one to put her hand up. "My aunt and I go to a nice barbeque place on main peak. It's affordable too, so you won't go broke, sensei."

That makes Darui as happy as his flattened face can get. He looks at Naruto and Sasuke, who both shrug, before gesturing forward. Sakura leads the way.

It's awkward at first. To start, Sakura and Darui are spotless while the boys are dirtied and injured; it is hard to ignore the seeming power imbalance between them. Besides that it's clear that as comfortable as Sakura is with everyone else, she struggles to look Sasuke in the face and won't talk to him. Since she's in charge of conversation, Sasuke ends up shafted. He didn't want to talk anyway, but not getting a choice in the matter pisses him off.

They arrive at the restaurant with a metaphorical thunderstorm hanging above their heads. Darui tips his head back to read the sign: _Hachimura BBQ_.

"Never eaten here before. Nice one, Sakura."

"My aunt showed it to me. They do ramen as well. Deserts, fish, bento boxes… Hachimura does it all!"

Sasuke's stomach rumbles. Crap. He didn't have time to eat lunch today, he's starving.

As long as he isn't paying, it should be okay.

"Oh man, ramen? I love that stuff! Let's get a move on, sensei, come on!"

Naruto grabs his pink-haired teammate by the hand and drags her into the restaurant. Darui shouts after them to "behave" like he believes it will work. Sasuke is committed to being the victim and is waiting for Darui to move, so he can slink in behind him.

The interior is dark woods and blue velvet fabrics. Cooked meat wafts through the crevices of the store, and all around them is the sound of grilling meat and happy people talking idly. Above the din is Naruto, loudly marveling at the menu, and Sakura organising a table for them. After being sat down Darui collects their orders and gives them to a waiter.

"So your aunt takes you here?"

"When we can afford it," Sakura nods without shame. "She's a potter, you see. It's kind of slow work."

"A what?"

"You know, pottery? Vases, ceramics?"

Naruto blinks slowly, then laughs and nods. "Oh, _that_ pottery. Yeah, yeah!"

Sasuke meets his eyes and raises his eyebrow. _Really?_

His answering glare is unfriendly.

"Well, good on your aunt. She has taste. The atmosphere of this place is nice."

Sakura smiles slightly. "I thought so too. Um, what do your guardians do, Naruto-kun?"

"They annoy me," Naruto answers blandly. "I guess they're shinobi too?"

"He has a brother and a sister," Sasuke hears himself say. He stops, surprised at himself, and pointedly turns away to avoid the eyes he can feel on him. "What?"

Naruto sounds perplexed: "Uh — yeah, what Sasuke said. One bro, one sis."

 _And the brother's brother,_ says a voice in Sasuke's head that needs to shut up now.

"Older?" Darui asks, and Naruto sighs resignedly. It garners some laughter from them. "No siblings for you, Sakura?"

"Only child," she says regretfully. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have a big sister or something,"

"It's overrated," Naruto tells her.

"Big brother?" She says hopefully, only to flatline when Naruto shakes his head rapidly. She slumps over. "I suppose I'm lucky to be an only child then…"

"There are always younger siblings,"

"Really sensei?"

"Yeah. I have one. Brother-in-law. He's a drag, but he's cute."

Naruto turns expectantly to Sasuke as if expecting him to weigh in. Sasuke narrows his eyes warningly: Kagen has no place in their conversation. He should keep his mouth shut.

"Sensei! Does that mean you're married!"

"Yup," says Darui unenthusiastically, "Oh look, our food is coming!"

Sakura puffs out her cheeks and rears up determinedly, very much not finished. The waiter delivers their meat, a bowl of miso, and sauces on a platter, cutting her off. Darui immediately gets to grilling their meat to avoid her questions about his marital status, an unsubtle gesture that turns Sakura's cheeks pink.

Naruto, never one to be deterred by polite expectations, asks, "Is she pretty, sensei?"

Darui pushes around a strip of pork. "Eh, so-so."

Sakura's pink turns angry. " _S_ _ensei!_ "

"What?"

"That's no way to— Naruto-kun, can you keep it down—"

Naruto has decided now is as good a time as any to dive head first into his miso ramen. His slurping is as loud as Darui's grilling. Sakura is silenced.

And Darui is destroying that meat.

Sasuke forgoes the tongs entirely, using his chopsticks to flip the meat quickly. If he acts quickly, he can salvage it. It won't take long to cook through, so he puts on some more, takes off what's done, and gets the sauces in place. Eventually Darui cedes control and the metal tongs. "You have a handle on it, Sasuke."

His peers are looking. To get them off his back, Sasuke confesses, "I help my mother out a lot."

"You're very sweet, Sasuke-kun," Sakura blurts, immediately looking alarmed by her own words. She sinks into shameful silence.

Naruto gulps down his broth like a savage. He wipes his chin on his bright orange sleeve and says, "Mikoto-oba-chan doesn't need your help, stop lying."

"Stop calling her that."

"Eh, why? She's fine with it!"

"You can't just do what you want."

"What? How come Naruto-kun's met your family and I haven't!" Sakura moans, put-out. "Did you two already know each other? Naruto!"

"Why are you yelling at me?"

"Can you two try quietly eating the meal that Sasuke has generously prepared for you? You're disturbing the other patrons. Sorry, sir, they're genin."

" _I_ want to meet Sasuke-kun's family too,"

"Forget it," Sasuke bites. He throws some meat on her plate and Naruto's. "I didn't want him meeting them. He just broke in."

She turns a furious gaze onto Naruto. "You _broke in_? That's so rude!"

Naruto looks cornered. "You aren't even gonna ask for my side of the story, Sakura-chan?!"

"Oh my god, what a drag," Darui stuffs his mouth and evidently resolves to let them do what they want while he ignores their commotion. "You idiots are gonna get us kicked out of this nice restaurant…"

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

They are kicked out.

"We can go to my place for dinner?"

"Sorry, sensei…"

"You should be. I had to pay even though we didn't eat."

"My aunt can make us dinner," Sakura repeats. They all feel and look downtrodden, even Sasuke in his own way, although it really is difficult to tell with him. "She wants to meet you guys anyway; two birds, right?"

Naruto is on board: apparently he's starving and ran out of instant ramen this morning. Ayuna will want to send him home with leftovers. Sasuke scowls at his feet and doesn't say anything. Sakura tentatively counts that as a good sign.

Darui-sensei sighs tiredly. **He probably wants to go home to his wife,** Inner remarks cheekily. Sensei will be easier to interrogate in her home, Sakura is certain. She needs his agreement.

"If she won't mind," Darui-sensei mumbles. He still looks bored even after being kicked out. Nothing bothers him. "Is there gonna be dessert?"

"Probably. Oba-chan has a sweet tooth."

"To Sakura-chan's place! Hey, hey, wanna race?"

"You'll lose," says Sakura. It occurs to her that the challenge might have been for Sasuke. Only, Naruto is grinning fiercely at her and every cell in her body rises up to meet him. Okay, maybe not for Sasuke. "I'm super fast."

"Bet you I'm faster!"

"Bet you you're _not_."

"If I win, I get your serving," Naruto throws down, and Sakura doesn't need Inner egging her on for her to sneer: " _You're on_."

Darui-sensei starts tiredly, "Are you two aware that if Sakura runs ahead the rest of us won't know where to go?"

Sakura doesn't hear him. She shakes hands with Naruto.

"Bastard," Naruto shouts, "We need a countdown!"

"Don't involve me."

"Shouldn't you be happy that we're leaving? Cause we'll leave a lot faster if you just count down for us."

The idea appeals to him. Sasuke hisses through gritted teeth, "Three."

Sakura and Naruto instantly scramble into ready stances, palms on the floor, alternating between glaring at each other and looking into the distance.

"Two."

"My aunt lives up the street, second left, she's the house at the end of the street. There's a row of flowers on our porch. I'll point it out when it's in sight. Not that I'll need to since I will be leading the way!"

"One."

"You're gonna eat those words, Sakura-chan," Naruto says lowly, "you're gonna choke on 'em."

"Go, morons."

Sakura and Naruto explode into movement.


	5. Oh Cool Backstories

**The Immigrant, The Refugee, The Cold Case**

* * *

Ayuna is an angular woman with cropped blonde hair and an unforgiving handshake. If there is resemblance between her and her niece, Sasuke can't find it. She has an aura about her that is — he gets the feeling she isn't as easy-going as Sakura.

"Uchiha Sasuke-san? I've heard about you, young man. Pleasure to meet you."

"You too," he says politely, staring off to the side. The wooden walls are cracked and worn. She's owned this house for a while.

"Mmhm. Why don't you go find your friends, Sasuke-san. I'm eager to get to know your sensei," Ayuna smiles at the white-haired man. "Sakura tells me the sweetest things!"

"Go ahead, Sasuke," Darui mumbles. It's clear he isn't enthused by the idea of _talking_ , but he's decent enough not to subject Sasuke to it as well. Meanwhile, Sasuke takes the olive branch, striding towards the kitchen. He doesn't need directions. Naruto and Sakura are loud enough the neighbours could pinpoint their location.

Sakura's sweating, hunched over the table with a half-empty glass of water in her hands. Naruto is smiling wide, the only shortness in his breath because of his shameless laughter.

Apparently, he won.

Sakura interrupts herself in the middle of calling Naruto a cheater when she sees him hovering at the doorway. She sits up straighter. "Sasuke-kun, you made it! Where is sensei?"

"Your aunt is talking to him."

"Oh, that'll be interesting. I hope she doesn't embarrass me…"

"Do you have many embarrassing stories?" Naruto asks, grin foxish. Sakura smacks him upside the head. "UM?"

"You shouldn't ask those questions if you aren't prepared for their consequences," Sakura turns her nose up at him. She pats him harshly on the back when Naruto continues pouting. "Aww, get over it, Naruto-kun. I barely touched you."

Naruto isn't so convinced. "Betcha I have a concussion and a broken back. You are too harsh,"

"And you pout like a child," Sasuke deadpans. He sits with them because he's exhausted of standing, stealing Naruto's glass of water while he's at it. The big dork obviously isn't using it. Someone should.

"Oi!"

"Sasuke-kun, I can get you your own," says Sakura bemusedly. Sasuke ignores them both and chugs it down. "... Or not."

Naruto snarls some childish insults under his breath. Sasuke's eye twitches, but he spitefully refuses to react — it's what Naruto is pining for. Sasuke will hold back if just to disappoint the other boy. Luckily for Sasuke's frayed temper, the blond doesn't have the patience to steadily chip away at his self-control.

To Sakura, he says, "You've got a really nice house, you know?"

"Ah, you think so? It's an old place…"

"No, no, it's super cool! There are so many windows! It's open!"

Sakura grins, flattered and flustered at the same time. "Oba-chan's husband built this place for her before they got married. It's been around for… hmm… twenty-so years? And the shed too. Everything here, he built. Isn't that romantic?"

It's more romantic than Sasuke's parents were, that's for sure. The thought weighs him down with guilt. For whatever it was worth and however long it lasted, Fugaku and Mikoto loved each other.

"You have an uncle? Where is he?"

Sakura pauses, then shrugs. "Dead," she says, like it's nothing, like it's a fact she plucked from a textbook, academic and emotionless. Naruto gives her a loaded look. She laughs softly, "I didn't know him. I don't even know what he looks like. It's fine."

No mention of her parents, Sasuke notices. He wonders if it's the same story there: did she have the chance to know them? He steals a glance at his other teammate, who has turned quiet and contemplative, a kinetic energy about him. He wants to speak. Is it about his family? Sasuke doesn't know why he's curious. But he wants them to say something.

He imagines what he would say. _My brother murdered all my aunts and all my uncles while m_ _y dad preferred to stand his ground rather than hide like cowards. I think my mom wishes she'd stayed with him but instead she's stuck with me and a fat civilian and a hostage._

Naruto swallows. He tugs on his earlobe and won't look at either of them. "My parents—"

"Oooooi, you three!"

Naruto leaps out of his skin, banging his knee on the underside of the table. He yelps, rolls onto his back, and furiously swears as he cradles the injury. Darui and Ayuna walk in like they're expecting to have to tiptoe over bodies.

"Are you behaving?" The jonin queries.

"Of course," Sakura puffs out her chest.

"Good, good. Boys, say thank you to Ayuna-san for hosting us."

"Thanks," The boys deliver flatly. Ayuna raises her eyebrows, and this time Naruto manages to inject his tone with a smidgen more sincerity. "Sakura-chan said your dessert is delicious."

"Did she?"

"U-huh. Real shame she won't be eating any tonight."

"You cheated," Sakura says instantly. "I bet you have supplements hidden in your offensive hoodie and you took them before we started so you would win. You have inhuman stamina. And zero morals."

"Says the slow poke!"

"I'm not _slow_ ,"

"You're like the tortoise to my awesome hare!"

"Did you read that story? You complimented me!"

"Nooo, I called you slow. Don't try get intellectual with me, Snail-chan!"

"I — let me have _some_ dessert," Sakura says, abandoning her dignity to clasp Naruto's hands in hers. She pulls out some puppy dog eyes. "Please, Naruto-kun, I need to eat too!"

Naruto says, "You already ate. Remember?"

He pauses for dramatic effect. Sasuke looks beseechingly at Darui to break them up already, but Darui is picking at his nails, eyes blank as he daydreams away from their reality.

"Ate _my dust_!"

Sakura is prepared to throw hands. "I will beat your face and ass. I can't miss out on oba-chan's pudding, okay? I can't! Let's make one more bet—"

"No way,"

"—we can arm wrestle!"

Naruto chokes on absolutely nothing. He yanks up his sleeve so everyone can see his noodle arm. Even Sasuke has more muscle, and for a moment he silently revels in it. Even if Sakura outclasses them both, it's nice not to be dead-last. "Do I look stupid?!"

"Yes," says Sasuke. Naruto kicks his shin under the table.

"I'm not wrestling with you!"

"Fine. A memorization game."

"I'd lose!"

"That's the _point_ , Naruto-kun, I need to get some of the pudding no matter what," Sakura slams her fist into an open palm.

Naruto rapidly shakes his head. He is going to dislodge his hitai-ate at this rate. "No no no. Not a chance. Ask Sasuke if you can eat some of his dessert because I'm not sharing!"

Sakura sulks. "But… it's _Sasuke-kun's_ … Oba-chan, can't you just prepare an extra serving?"

Ayuna doesn't hesitate to shoot her niece's dreams down. "Absolutely not. I'm not intruding on your little ninja games. A woman is only as good as her word, so you need to keep your promises, Sakura. No dessert for you tonight."

"What? This is so unfair…"

Darui snorts, sounding a bit like he's waking up from a micro nap. Sasuke wouldn't put it past him. He looks so lifeless it's a wonder he hasn't already spontaneously dropped dead. "You made your bed, Sakura. Now you must lay in it."

Sakura looks like she is about to cry, which does nothing to Naruto but alarms Sasuke. He hates when Kagen cries. He hates when anyone cries. It's annoying and pointless. "Just take my serving," He sighs resignedly. Sakura makes a _noise._ It is practically a squeak. "I don't like sweets."

"But you came anyway?" Naruto tilts his head at that. "Huh."

Sakura has rediscovered her vocabulary. "Oh, um, are you sure?"

"It's whatever,"

"Well — thank you, Sasuke-kun!"

She is blushing. Sasuke narrows his eyes at her. "This doesn't mean anything," he says hotly, and Sakura jolts like she's been shocked. "I just want you two to shut up."

"Ah, naturally," Sakura sighs, but she doesn't appear downtrodden by his rejection. Water off a duck's back. Instead she turns to grin at Ayuna. "I _do_ get pudding after all!"

Ayuna shakes her head slowly. "More drama than a soap opera," she says teasingly. Ayuna kisses her niece's forehead and smiles at the room, slightly more relaxed than she was at the door. "Anyone want to help me out?"

Darui purses his lips and stares pointedly at the ceiling. "Not too great at cooking," He says, mumbling about how his attention-span isn't fantastic. Food preparation bores Darui, often leading to overcooked meals and charred pots or so he claims. It's possible he's exaggerating to avoid getting up.

"I can make ramen?" Naruto volunteers, rubbing his whiskered cheek on his left shoulder. "It has to be in a cup though,"

"We'll be fine without it," Ayuna says bemusedly. "And I already know Sakura has no talent in the kitchen—"

"Damn right," Sakura grins, high-fiving Naruto about it.

"— which leaves Sasuke-san. What do you say? Wanna help me out, kid?"

If it put distance between him and those twin clowns he is forced to call teammates, Sasuke could be convinced to do anything.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

Ravine seventy-three remains unchanged upon arrival.

Naruto shifts his backpack from his shoulder and drops it at the base of a tree. Sakura's vow of not heckling him for answers starts feeling the pressure. The pack is bulky, evidence that it's full and poorly packed, but it must not contain valuables: Naruto abandons it without a second thought.

At a loss, Sakura faces Darui-sensei. "Do _you_ know what's in there?"

"It'd be pretty lame if I didn't," answers Darui-sensei. He blows out a harsh breath, putting his hand on her head. "Don't worry about it, Sakura. We have other problems."

The other problems turn out to be Sakura's stamina. She didn't figure Darui-sensei would take Sakura's loss in a friendly race as meat for a training regime: turns out she was wrong as hell.

Darui-sensei gets her to go through a "low intensity" workout. Sensei is getting a dictionary for Christmas. Sakura runs forty laps around the valley — which is _not tiny_ — and goes through push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, and suicide runs on top of it. She loses count of how many she does. Enough to kill a small dog she suspects.

Darui-sensei always seem to be there when she falters, hands in his pockets, chewing on his lip. "One more," He'll lie (it is _never_ one more) and then he'll say, "You're doing well, Sakura."

Like she said: lies.

After her last cooldown lap, her legs give out. Sakura is a few inches away from the river. She'd crawl if her arms didn't feel like — well like shit, basically. Sensei squats by her head and splashes her a few times.

He lets her wheeze like a fish out of water. "You're strong, but you can't last long, can you?"

Sakura does not have the capacity to reply.

"Battles can go on for hours. Sometimes it's about luck, about being the last person to buckle. At the moment you're my strongest student, but Naruto would beat you in a spar because he can get up more times than you can knock him down. Sasuke is quicker. That's all it takes. You need to be more balanced."

Darui-sensei pitifully splashes her one more time. It's enough to inspire her to crawl the last inches to dip her entire head underwater. She only comes up when her lungs scream for air.

"You'll be fine," says Darui-sensei.

"Even — though — I — _suck_?"

"You don't suck. You're inexperienced. And if you were trash, that's what I'm here for. Your sensei teaches you what you need to know to survive out in the real world."

Sakura dunks herself again. It's fresh water, but she has no idea how clean it is, so she resists the urge to drink. Darui-sense hauls her to her wobbly legs. "I think you're done for today,"

Sakura throws his hand off viciously. " _No_. I can keep on. What else do you have in store—"

Of course, she collapses before she can finish a step.

Darui catches her around her waist, sighs, then throws her over his shoulder. "It is a rest day tomorrow, use it to recover. You know it's necessary."

"Sasuke and Naruto haven't needed to recover!"

"I haven't blown out their legs with exercise, have I?"

That's possible. She bites back on another protest. Shishou already stresses the importance recovery enough for Sakura not to turn her cheek to the idea. It's necessary. And if sensei was right, if this _is_ low intensity, then Sakura needs to treat her body properly in order to train it.

But it stings. To be useless over his shoulder while the boys have doggedly tackled chakra-walking to their own detriment is frustrating. She cannot be happy about this. "I'm taking you back to your aunt," He tells her.

"What about the boys?"

"Naruto's camping here. I'll come back for Sasuke."

"Hah?! You said it was rest day, and anyway, is that safe?"

"For _you_. Have faith in me, Sakura. He won't be unsupervised."

Darui-sensei doesn't explain further: he has to mean himself, though, so Sakura bites her tongue and tries to relax. Sensei goes to the boys. Sasuke's new tactic involves crawling up the wall using all-fours, which is interesting and _is_ improving his understanding on chakra-walking. Naruto is also using holistic methods, testing stickiness with his hands.

"It's Sasuke's idea," the blond says defensively upon seeing Darui-sensei. "He said chakra was hard to channel to your feet and— what's wrong with Sakura-chan?"

"Nothing," Sakura mutters.

"I killed her, sorry. She's going home now."

"You good, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura attempts to give him a thumbs up over Darui-sensei's shoulder. Naruto accepts it easily enough. "You're coming back, aren't you?"

"How else is Sasuke supposed to get home?"

Sasuke clicks his tongue furiously, miraculously not losing his temper.

"Don't fight while I'm gone. Boss will be pissed off if you two die on my watch."

"Who _is_ Boss?"

"The Raikage, obviously,"

Naruto scoffs. " _That_ old man?"

Darui-sensei's voice goes strained. "Of course you call him that. Listen, just behave. I won't be long. Naruto, your guardians know about your camping trip, right?"

Naruto crosses his arms childishly, saying, "As if I could get away with keeping anything from them. They're so nosy!"

Darui-sensei hums ambiguously. "Say goodbye, Sakura."

Sakura is too upset to really do it. She grumbles to the ground instead. No one minds, which is cool but also frustrating. She knows she keeps out of their business, but can't the boys ask for more information? She bets they didn't notice her training at all. They're self-absorbed jerks.

 **Sasuke-kun is just driven** , says Inner around a yawn that can't be possible considering she's not real. **We can appreciate that, can't we? Doesn't he look cute when he's focusing?**

Sakura is too tired to notice his cuteness today. She tells Inner as much and prepares for the bombard of offended screaming from her. It gives her a migraine. Sakura tries to tune her out.

"I'm gonna ask about your wife," says Sakura warningly, "It's the least you deserve."

"I've withstood scarier interrogations," Darui-sensei tells her apologetically. "Hang on, kiddo. We're jumping."

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

"You're scratched up, Naruto."

Yugito's voice is as fond as it always is, a warm hug after a dark night. At the moment it is someone speaking to him when he thought the house was empty. The voice doesn't belong. He plummets from the wall screaming, and Yugito, naturally, doesn't move a muscle to catch him.

Sasuke drops much more gracefully from his perch, alert to the stranger in his space. "Who are you?"

Yugito blinks, unmoved as Sasuke reaches behind him for a weapon. "Naruto hasn't told you about me?"

She sounds hurt. Naruto laughs nervously and mouths at Sasuke to relax, alright?

"This is my sister, Yugito," He introduces them. "Nee-chan, that's Sasuke. He's an ordinary guy."

"Eat dirt, dobe."

Sasuke's hands hang empty at his sides. He keeps a careful, intense eye on Yugito to gauge her threat level to him. It's kind of interesting to wonder what he sees. Yugito holds herself with confident, precise grace, with all the languid movements of a trained killer. She's outfitted in tight-fitting clothing and sharp edges because she doesn't need to hide how dangerous she is. Is he wary?

But Yugito is kind, too. Thoughtful and introverted. She's the best person Naruto knows. There is no way for Sasuke to tell — that's an injustice. Naruto has hoarded memories of every compassionate act Yugito has turned his way. He wants to share them, suddenly, but it's ultimately not the bastard's business.

Sasuke reaches a conclusion. He turns his back to them. "Just keep it down," He orders Naruto, and appears disgusted when Naruto sticks his tongue out.

"What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you all week. I missed you."

Naruto's face burns hotter. "Ah, I missed you too. Where's Bee?"

"Mission, still. You know he'll visit when he gets back. I can't believe you train in this ravine when you don't know how to chakra-walk. How do you get here everyday?"

Naruto freezes. He can't tell her the _truth_.

"Teamwork," He blurts out believably. He hurries to change the subject. "Actually, do you think you can help? I think I have — a lot of chakra."

Yugito pinches her lips together. "So?"

"Well, you only need a little, don't you?"

"You can control the three-tails," Yugito reminds him bluntly. Of all the people not to understand his plight, Yugito was the last on his list. A harsh betrayal.

"That's the opposite of my problem?"

"You aren't going to know what the right amount of chakra is until you use it. There's no advice to give. You're doing it right."

"Sakura got it instantly!"

"In that case: Hello, Sakura."

"Eh? I'm not Sakura-chan!"

Yugito leveled him with an enormously patient look. "How is your other training going?"

Naruto screws his lips to the side. Yugito is his primary teacher about the Kyuubi — Bee his secondary — and he's not surprised she's asking. Wouldn't be surprised if its her main concern. It usually comes back to Kyuubi. He and Naruto are considered one entity.

"I meditate," He says.

"Every night?"

"Yeah yeah, I have. Not much of an improvement."

"You are talking, though?"

"Sometimes," Naruto shrugs loosely, "Mostly he tells me to piss off before booting me to the curb. Did — did _yours_ ever…?"

"Of course she did," Yugito laughs softly, "Years of resentment for my species and her circumstances. She was a cornered animal. She _is_ a cornered animal, our truce hasn't undermined the truth. I endured years of her swiping at me before she trusted that I wouldn't needlessly hurt her for my own gain. That's the relationship you need with the Kyuubi."

"It can't be afraid of me," Naruto is offended by the prospect. "It's — everything it has ever done—"

"And everything _we've_ done, you must consider that. Loneliness and anger are his only company in that cage we've stuck him in. Trust takes time."

It's an absurd idea. Nobody thinks of the most powerful chakra beast as nothing more than a scared, angry little brat — an abused animal. The Kyuubi nearly flattened Konoha. It is a construct of hatred and bitterness, it feeds and grows and feeds and grows on it. Maybe it's different because Niibi is takes the form of a domesticated cat. Kyuubi is a fox: wild, untamed, with pointed teeth to chomp off the hand that fed it right from the wrist. Yugito's got it wrong.

"You can do it, Naruto."

Frustration bubbles up in his gut, hot enough to make Naruto want to shout. It isn't okay. It _isn't._ What did the Niibi ever do to Yugito? Not abstractly, but personally? Because Naruto's prisoner killed his parents and stole his childhood. He doesn't want to be nice to it. He doesn't want to be its friend. He wants it to cooperate so neither of them get freaking murked by the Raikage.

He can't tell Yugito that. She's always kind, unfailingly so. Between her and Bee's uncompromising grip on their civic duty to the village, Naruto's feelings are small and childish.

"Moron!"

Yugito's eyes go wide. "Does he call you that?"

"What, bastard?"

"You call him… _Naruto._ That isn't how teammates talk to each other."

Sasuke dismisses her with a glance. Yugito can't hide that it ticks her off, but she's a jonin well-versed in childish arrogance so it doesn't set her off. Shame. He'd like to see his sister kick Sasuke's ass. She wouldn't break a sweat.

"Are you gonna stand around chatting all day?"

"I've still got all night to train," Naruto bites back. "And I'm _not_ chatting! This is serious stuff, not that I'd expect someone like you to get it. Why don't you worry about yourself?"

"Why don't you quit running your mouth?"

"You started it!"

"Just shut up already and do the exercise. You're leagues behind me. At this rate you'll never catch up."

Naruto pats Yugito apologetically on the arm. "Sorry nee-chan, but I gotta make this bastard eat his bullshit. Are you sticking around? Sensei said someone would be around to supervise."

He didn't think it was a coincidence that Yugito showed herself so soon after sensei left. Naruto is a ways from the village and his usual watchers. Even though he would never, the old man makes sure Naruto's babysat on the regular so he doesn't run off to be a hermit in Iwagakure or something. Yugito says it's to protect him from kidnappers, but Naruto's an awesome ninja now. What's there to worry about?

"It'll be an anbu member," Yugito tells him. She eyes Sasuke curiously. "Who did you say he was again?"

"Sasuke."

"Does he have a clan?"

"Yup. Uchiha. His mom is pretty."

Yugito makes this face. "So he's _that_ boy… And you shouldn't talk about his mother like that."

"It's true, she's pretty. He looks just like her, it's so creepy."

Her expression becomes stranger, like she's really trying not to say something incriminating. "Interesting. Do you two get along?"

Naruto shrugs. Sasuke pissed him off, but that's it. "He doesn't know anything," He starts, thinking about his obtuse moment of not believing chakra is visible, when a stone hits the side of his head. "BASTARD!"

"Stop making things up, clown. I can hear you."

"Maybe you shouldn't eavesdrop!"

Sasuke scoffs like the accusation doesn't apply to him although it clearly does. Naruto dusts his palms on his orange pants. "I really gotta get back to training, Nee-chan. I'll talk later, okay?"

Naruto captures her in a quick hug before breaking into a sprint.

* * *

 **\V/**

* * *

To be honest, he isn't fond of leaving Naruto alone in a solitary ravine he can't escape from when he gets in trouble. Darui almost throws him out when the sun goes down, though, citing that he has people waiting for him and Sasuke needs to go home so _Darui_ can go home. People are watching Naruto: a claim Sasuke can't help but doubt. He's seen no one except Naruto.

"Who would have thought you were such a worry-wart." Darui chuckles, "Your mood swings are such a drag. Have some consistency, Sasuke,"

Sasuke isn't a worry wart. You have to care about someone to worry about them; Naruto and Sakura barely cross his mind and he sees them every day.

With that in mind he lets Darui take him away. He's made it more than halfway up the wall. His reserves are exhausted. He'll rest tomorrow, regain his strength, and come back with a greater understanding of his task. He's got the control down. Now it's a matter of maintaining it for longer and subconsciously. Not easy, but it needs to be.

Dinner is in the fridge. He eats his serving without warming it and showers, bathing for half an hour to indulge himself. He sits until steam fogs up the mirrors and the water turns cold.

It's a simple thing to drift off in thought. Itachi usually plagues his mind when he's not actively distracting himself. It's a haunting: what changes is who he considers the ghost. Most of the time it's Itachi, but sometimes it's Fugaku and even Sasuke's considered that it might be him. What are ghosts? Remnants; scars left on the world from the deceased. They're your actions, your regrets, a piece of your soul left behind.

Sasuke has acted and he has regrets and he has left things behind. He counts. His only problem is he isn't dead when he very well should be.

His mother knocks on the door softly. "Sasuke, please don't fall asleep in the bathtub. You'll prune up."

Sasuke sighs. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"We're nightowls, you and I," she jokes, knocking once more, before he hears her footsteps pad away. Sasuke pulls out the plug with his toe and regretfully gets to his feet.

Mikoto is sitting in front of a scroll. She smiles at him tiredly. Exhaustion lives under her skin now. Sasuke struggles to remember his mother unreservedly happy.

 _She's more of a ghost than I am,_ Sasuke thinks, and feels guilty for it almost instantly.

The scroll has writing on it. Not even seal work. Just a message that says: _Find me in the meeting room at your earliest opportunity._ The kanji could have been stenciled in; there are no flaws. Mikoto presses her finger under the ink. It's dried, but her touch is light as if she's afraid of smudging it.

"I had it on me when we left," Mikoto says apropos of nothing. Her smile corkscrews into a grimace. "When I grabbed you and started packing, I was only thinking of our survival. What we would need to make it on the road: clothes, weapons, money, trade items. I didn't grab the family album, or my wedding kimono, or your art I kept on the fridge. I had Itachi's first report card under my bed. I should have grabbed it. There is so much I would do differently if I had the chance."

"Mom…"

"I would have grabbed your father by his hair and forced him to come with us. Itachi, too. I left behind so many photos… My pregnancies, my team, my friends… I really, really abandoned everything."

Sasuke watches her trace the lettering. He can't shake the feeling that she's blaming him. She wouldn't, even though it's his fault.

"That's everything that remains of Father," He says. He can't help the poisonous edge in his tone.

"Not everything," Mikoto says tenderly. Sasuke flinches. "My son, those were material objects. I left them behind because I can live without them. I took you because I couldn't. I knew back then that my memories were enough, and I was right, even if I doubt myself in my quieter moments."

Sasuke felt like he never left those quiet moments where doubt was the loudest voice he could hear. Mikoto is miserable. A proud shinobi reduced to a broodmare to ensure Sasuke's conditional citizenship. It isn't fair, and it isn't _right_ that years after the massacre the world believes Itachi did it out of madness, that Mikoto and Sasuke are missing because of chance and not because they were shown the door, that Konoha remains unpunished for their hand to play.

"I have your father in my heart. I know Itachi is alive. I have you and Kagen within arms reach. It's enough."

 _Except for when it isn't_. A chill goes down Sasuke's spine. He misses his mother. She's here but he misses her because this is a mere shade. Uchiha are fire-born. Mikoto simmers. Her light is dying.

Sasuke sits, hiding his shaking hands under the table. "Tell me about your team, then."

Mikoto looks a little confused. "You want to hear about my team?"

"Yeah. You never talk about them, except for when you said you met your best friend there."

"Shouldn't you be going to sleep soon?"

Sasuke rests his chin on his hand. He's bone-tired; that much is obvious to him. "Just go ahead already, I'll have time to sleep in anyway. Rest day."

His mother's eyes brighten like she can't help herself. "As long as you make it clear when I've rambled on for too long," she says girlishly, leaning forward. "Maa, where to begin…"


End file.
